Two Hearts and A Red Sin
by mistressinwaiting
Summary: Ninjas? Nah! Let's change that to vampire hunters! Massacred Uchiha clan? No way! Let's undo that! And annoying fangirl Sakura? Ho-ho! Let's keep the annoying but make her the Uchiha's fiancee! It's Naruto . . . but it's also to our liking.
1. Part One, Prologue: Panic in the Forest

Part One, Prologue

~Panic in the Forest~

His heart pounded loudly and quickly, louder and quicker than it had ever pounded before. He knew he just _had_ to find them, he just had to. And as he leaped from tree to tree, he sincerely hoped he would not arrive too late. But the signs were too obvious to ignore especially for one from the Uchiha clan who possessed the crimson Sharingan. However, even with his clan's kekkai genkai, Itachi seemed not to notice the many trees that laid rotting on the forest floor or the many snakes that hissed as they drew their last breath. It was only when he realized the presence of a familiar aura being surrounded by a strange darkness that he realized how critical the situation had become and how wrong he had been.

The Sannin was not after the flower his parents had promised to never let anything happen to but the precious brother he had sworn to protect.

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She felt helpless, _completely_ and _utterly_ useless. She could do _nothing_ as Orochimaru sank his fangs into Sasuke's neck. She had been frozen with fear, her eyes wide with shock. It had been a terrible experience for her, and she doubt it was anything less for the Uchiha.

"Sasuke-kun!"

She got off of the ground then, running to his side as Orochimaru's head recoiled back onto his body. She caught her fiancé who fell to the floor, clutching onto his now burning neck. But she could still see the three black tomoe that was placed there instead of a bite mark.

"What is this thing?" she asked of no one in particular, her grip on the wincing Uchiha tightened as his groans grew louder.

But the Sannin answered anyway, chuckling a bit. "Just a little parting gift I left for him… In due time, he'll come seek me out for power."

Sakura whipped her head around, her rosette hair flowing with the breeze as her locks fell out of the weakening ribbon that had held them into a ponytail—tears of fear and frustration decorated her face.

"As if he _would_!" she screamed.

Her outburst only greatened the man's laughter. "In due time, Kuruizaki-hime…" His laughter began to die out as his form disappeared into the darkness. "In due time…"

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**Oh my Kami-sama… 33rd fanfic! Hooray for me! Thank you, thank you for supporting me through the fanfics I have yet to finish and the oneshots I decided to write!**

**I have always wanted to do a fanfic about how I thought Naruto should go, but I never had the chance to do so because there were so many of them that I didn't have any original ideas for! So now . . . I'm making one! Yay!**

**Um . . . I hope you guys will help me… I don't want to disappoint anyone, but I'm afraid I will… Review please but don't be too harsh… Oh, and FYI, the chapters are so not going to be this short. And the plot I have still needs fixing so, if you have something you want to see in this fanfic, please tell me in your reviews. Thank you and I'll get the next chapter out soon!**


	2. Part One, Chapter One: Enter the Stage

_Twelve years ago…_

The monstrous roar that came with the deadly aura echoed throughout the area. It was a roar not heard often by the villagers or the hunters, but it was a roar they knew well enough to have the mind to fear it. And fear it, they did. Not many knew how to fight against a demon, and not many who knew survived their second or third encounter with one. But it wasn't because of this reason that they were afraid. No, it was because of the reason that they couldn't stop it—not before every one of them were killed and not before it reached their village. Their attacks would be useless, their weapons too, for the demons the hunters fought against were not enormous monsters or giant fiends but creatures and beasts in human form.

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There was something amiss, he knew as he stared up into the suddenly cloudy sky. He was a prodigy, after all. He could sense that something was wrong. He didn't know why he knew. Perhaps it was something in the air, a stench maybe. Whatever gave him this sixth sense, he didn't care. As long as it could help him protect his precious peoples then he'd gladly accept it . . . especially on this ominous night. He had a _very_ bad feeling about it, and it hit him right in the gut. He sincerely hoped that, whatever it was, it would pass by quickly and silently without wrecking his peaceful life in Konoha. It had only been a while ago that the last war had ended. An era of peace was substantially needed. He did not know what he'd do if another fight was to ensue. He had already seen so many of his family members and friends die in battle. He didn't want to see that ever happening again.

It was then that his baby brother gave a loud cry, snapping him out of his thoughts. Sasuke was starting to get good at that, getting attention and never giving his older brother enough time to himself. But there was nothing Itachi could do about it. Plus, he had gotten used to it. And so, he hushed the baby, telling him that there was nothing to fear. It was somewhat true, and he would keep it true. As long as he was around, he wouldn't let anything harm the baby who wailed. That was what being a big brother meant in this world . . . or so his mother told him. And if he were to disobey the Uchiha matriarch, he would be in for it. And he did _not_ want to cross that line anytime soon. He had seen people getting smacked for offenses less than that, and he did _not_ want to be one of those people. And besides, having your cheek red for a week was so _not_ worth it.

Once the baby in his arms stopped crying, another something caught his attention. Running into the yard, a small brown pug seemed to have grown larger and larger as it came from the distance. The Uchiha recognized the dog. It was one of the hunter dogs that one of the students the Fourth taught owned. He wondered why the little pug was here at this hour. It made him uneasy seeing the little mutt coming in fast and, from the way the dog ran, Itachi deduced that something was a dragging him down, something a bit too heavy for one of his size. And on closer inspection, Itachi saw what gave the dog his hardship. On the pug's back was a small bundle wrapped in a white cloth—most likely made out of a fine silk and perhaps maybe some cotton. The flowery design was familiar, yes, but where had Itachi seen it before? In fact, why did seeing that small little bundle send a chill throughout his body?

"Pakkun," he greeted as the dog came to a skidded halt in front of him. The mutt's face didn't ease the nervousness that had come tonight.

"Yo, Itachi. Where're your parents at?"

A bit surprised by the pug's sudden request, Itachi didn't answer right away. It wasn't like Pakkun to skip the small talk and jump right to the matter at hand. "In the living room," he answered, never allowing his worry to show.

"Thanks."

The pug leaped onto the porch, making sure that he landed lightly as not to drop the item he was carrying. He even stopped to look back at it and checked to make sure it was still securely fastened to his back. From the way he handled the bundle, Itachi knew that whatever he held was something important—something valuable and something of high significance. After all, this was the way Pakkun carried Kakashi's favorite book series, making sure nothing would happen to them or else the Class-One hunter would severely punish the dog. But from the way Pakkun seized this package showed the Uchiha that it was more significant than a few mere books. And this was what caught Itachi's attention. This bundle must have been something _very_ important if Pakkun was the only one protecting it. The small dog was only called into a mission by himself when something was needed to be snuck in or concealed out of sight. What could have been so imperative and essential that needed to be hidden away?

There was a small whining sound. But when Itachi checked his brother, he realized the soft sound didn't come from the baby in his arms. So where…? The sound grew louder, and it brought Itachi's attention to the package wrapped in white cloth. His eyes widened slightly and, for an Uchiha, that was more than enough to show his astonishment. Was the bundle moving? He realized from the sound of the cry and from the way Pakkun handled it that the parcel could only be one thing. He thought he had mistaken but, on closer examination, he realized the size of the bundle only confirmed his theory. And when he saw a little head adorned with rosette locks and a face decorated by two large spring green eyes filled with confusion and tears, he suddenly remembered where he had seen the cloth that wrapped this female baby.

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The toad grumbled. Every time he had been summoned, every time he had been called upon, it had always been something easy—something he could always handle, like maybe two or three hundred vampires or maybe even a few nasty little children. He could always expect to relax like he did back at home whenever his assistance was needed. It had been his circle of life. Relax, relax, relax, be summoned, and still relax, relax, relax. And so, when he was met with the sight of a big angry fox demon, he was _not_ happy. He wasn't prepared, he wasn't expecting this, and he was not happy _at all_.

Taking out his little—well, it wasn't "_little_" from any hunter's point of view—kiseru from his mouth, Gamabunta could not hold back his tongue and his annoyance. "Really, boy? A _tailed_ beast? Couldn't you have at least given me a warning before calling me here? This isn't exactly like fighting an army of vampires, you know. This fox belonged to the elite group of demons that protected the vampiric Imperial family, and _he's_ the strongest of the bunch!"

"Yeah, I know…" The Hokage was all but for jokes right now. He had a lot at stake here, and he could not afford a mistake. His wife and boy's lives were his to protect but, at the moment, he needed to take care of the fox. He could not accomplish this if Gamabunta wasn't serious about it.

"Hm, suit yourself. . . . But you _do_ know that Kushina won't make it out of this alive even if you manage to beat this thing, right?"

The Hokage was silent, staring straight at the rampaging demon. Outside of its vessel, the nine-tails could control its movements and its thoughts. It was free to do as it'd liked. It would make no sense for it to attack the village. It didn't have anything against Konoha nor its people. However, it was being controlled right now. It was being commanded to destroy the village, and it was because of one man's whim that the village was the fox's main concern. Minato planned his strategy. He had to somehow get the fox away from his home, somewhere where he could successfully reseal it without any interruptions. There was just one small _tiny_ problem. The original vessel would not work anymore, for the fox had escaped from her. And for a jinchūriki to lose its bijū, it would mean certain death.

Minato wasn't dumb. Of course, he knew that, but he did not want to think of that outcome. It was something he dreaded and, though he wouldn't admit it, it was also something he feared.

He gave a solemn sigh, giving a quiet ". . . Yeah, I know…" before going to work.

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She looked at the small girl she had put into a cradle, the one she had prepared for her in case her family visited with her in tow. She had planned out so many play dates, so many get-togethers… But with the baby brought here by Pakkun, Mikoto knew all her plans had just been canceled—for good. She had that feeling in her gut, and it wasn't good. She just _knew_ something bad had happened as she caressed the little girl's cheek, feeling the girl's soft skin as she squirmed around. It was only minutes before that the baby had been crying, her loud wails louder than Sasuke's ever were. They were a bit more disturbing, considering that her pitch was much higher than the younger Uchiha brother's and that her cries were because of something traumatizing. But she was still a little baby. And so, once Mikoto had begun to lull her, the infant had started to stop, but her eyes were rolling around the room, searching for something or rather some_one_. And Mikoto knew just who—the baby girl was looking for her mother and perhaps her father, too, a fact that almost brought tears to the Uchiha matriarch's eyes. The infant didn't even realize it yet. Her mother and father could not be found anymore—well, not anywhere on this earth.

_"You're quite famous now, Miko-chan… Your husband and Minato-kun, too… You three have been branded as some of the most powerful hunters in the world, so I was a bit hesitant to accept your invitation and come see you. I wondered if you'd actually kill me…"_

_The ebony-haired woman just gave out a charming laugh, almost as if the situation was just a joke. "Since when have you begun to doubt your _best friend_?" she asked. "Don't you know that a seven-month pregnant hunter can do absolutely _nothing_ against an attacking vampire?" When she saw the silver-haired girl relax a bit, she gave a small smile. "What has made you so wary of your childhood acquaintance? You know I only hunt those who are on the executor's list, and I know very well that you would not do anything that would get you on it."_

_Listening to Mikoto tease her, the girl just narrowed her eyes. She had risked a lot coming to the village again especially during this time. However, she had been itching to see her companion again, and the invitation Mikoto sent her was just the excuse she needed. Her eyes softened as she sighed. She did not understand why she was acting so indifferent to the Uchiha matriarch. Perhaps, it was because she had been cooped up for months that had caused her to be so easily irritated._

_"Gomennasai…" she apologized. "I did not mean to sound as I did, but"—she wrapped her arms around her own stomach—"I have a precious life growing inside of me, too… She's still in the early stages of development, and so it's risky for me to even be here for a second…" Her voice had been a whisper when she spoke of her pregnancy. Then, it returned to normal volume. "I wanted to come see you… When I heard you were pregnant with your second child, I wanted to see you a bit earlier than now… But it's hard to escape the surveillance of so many guards and even my own husband… The invitation you sent me was of a great convenience. I was allowed permission to come especially to visit you." She looked at the Uchiha's stomach. "What will you name him?"_

_"Oh, so it's a boy, now is it?" Mikoto giggled at this newly attained information. She knew her friend didn't mean to tell her. It was just in her nature to be clumsy with her words. "I wanted to keep that a surprise for myself but, seeing that you've already looked into the near future, I guess I'll ask you what name I should pick for my little boy. You know my older son. See what his father named him. I don't need a fox or chicken in the house."_

_"It's not up to me to decide it." came the reply._

_"Nonsense." Mikoto gave a wave of her hand to emphasize her statement. "You remember our little promise, right?"_

_A smirk. "How could I forget? You were the one who suggested it. It'll be an event that will help both our races co-exist. Plus, a vampire would be nothing but boredom for my daughter. She'll enjoy having a human fiancé."_

_"And so my little boy"—she patted her stomach—"will become your son-in-law. As the _mother_-in-law, you have a right to name him."_

_This time, another sigh. "How is it possible that you win nearly all of our conversations when it is _me_ who can look into the future?"_

_"Don't change the subject, Yuri-chan!" Mikoto snapped. __"Plus . . . you are just not a match for me," she added with a feigned arrogance._

_Again, a sigh. But the vampire lady did not give it a second thought when she gave the name, "Sasuke," for she had already foreseen the conversation and knew very well that she would lose as she always did._

_"Sasuke, eh? Uchiha Sasuke… Hm…" Mikoto pondered over it for a while, the name kept rolling off of her tongue. Giving a clap of her hands, she squealed. "I love it!"_

_Yuri gave a chuckle. "I'm glad you do. So now, you shall take the same role for my daughter and name her."_

_"Okay, fine… But I warn you: that'll make me her god-mother, too."_

_"Does it matter?" Yuri asked. "It'll just make you two all that much closer."_

_"That's true… Hm… Your daughter's name should reflect off of yours… A lily flower symbolizes sweetness, and so let's see…" Her thoughts raced through her brain, trying to match the flower to its Japanese meaning. There were a lot to go through, but Mikoto clapped her hands together in just seconds. "I got it! _Sa-ku-ra_! After the cherry blossom! Kind and gentle! And wishing you and your husband a long and healthy life!"_

_Giggles. "Well, let's just hope you don't jinx it, Mikoto-chan."_

Mikoto felt a wave of guilt suddenly hit her. It wasn't fault, she knew that. And yet, she couldn't help but believe that she had somehow given her friend some horrid luck. That conversation had happened almost ten months ago. Knowing that, her eyes began to water. Had Yuri even had the chance to breastfeed her daughter? Had she even had the chance to call out the girl's name even once or twice? Did her friend die despising herself for leaving her own daughter alone? And did she die during childbirth? That last question was quickly dropped since Yuri's husband would have been the one the child was sent to and not to her. Her thoughts continued to race while Mikoto's heart gained more and more weight as she thought of the possibilities and as her thoughts became more and more centered on her friend. Had Yuri died at the hands of hunters? Had she died fighting or had she died waiting for help? Waiting for Mikoto, her best friend, the one she could always count on to be there for her? It did not sit well for the Uchiha that she would probably never know the true circumstances of her friend's demise.

A little yawn came from the baby, her eyelids becoming heavy. And Mikoto was about to tuck the girl into bed when her obsidian eyes caught something she hadn't before. The girl, unlike her mother and father, bared no small fangs. This fact seemed to shed some light into the woman's thoughts but, before she could start working on a theory, she realized that babies did not start growing teeth at least until they were seven months old. However, though that did not become the basis for her thought process, her almost brainstorm gave Mikoto another shocking insight. The infant's aura . . . it was no different than her and her husband's—a human presence. How was that possible for a pureblooded vampire infant? Unless…

"What exactly happened, Pakkun?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She had stayed completely silent throughout the whole conversation, so her sudden question surprised her husband. However, Fugaku made no move to hush her. He, too, wanted to know why Yuri would suddenly place her newborn baby in their care.

Pakkun gave a gruff sigh, his face gave a dark foreshadow of what he'd tell them. "They were attacked," he answered gravely.

Fugaku heard his wife's sharp intake of breath. Her voice shook as if she were about to cry when she asked, "By _who_? Who would…?"

Fugaku knew she only wanted to confirm her suspicions by asking, but he knew that they both were thinking of the same culprit—the same criminal their clan had failed to wipe off the face of the planet.

"Need you ask?" came the pug's answered. "It was _him_."

"Then . . . their conditions? Are they both still alive?"

Pakkun shook his little furry head. "Both Yuri and Kaien have passed from this world."

Mikoto swallowed hard, the information giving life to a sudden feeling of mourning. She had known it before when she saw her friend's child been carried in by Pakkun, but to hear it and to have it be confirmed… Fugaku could not help but feel sorry for his wife. He had not known her friend all that well, but he knew how close the two had been. He had seen them do many things together, heard of their childhood stories. He knew very well the extent of their friendship. For Mikoto to find out about Yuri's death like this, he did not know how she would take it.

But instead of letting her tears fall, Mikto held them back and turned her attention back to her friend's child who now looked at her with large eyes filled with puzzlement. The Uchiha matriarch stroked the girl's cheek, sighing.

"Gomennasai, Aka-chan…" she asked for forgiveness, her voice steady but barely above of whisper. "I'm so sorry we couldn't take care of the problem that had come out of our clan before he reached your parents… I'm so sorry our actions have cost you your family…" _You'll never know your sweet mother or your loving father… For that, I'm so sorry…_

"He's the one controlling the Nine-tailed Fox, isn't he?" Fugaku asked of the dog. He cracked his knuckles, his usually impassive face now showing a hint of what he'd do. He had been one of those whom the Fourth ordered to stay behind to protect the village, but now those orders did not matter as much as what was at stake. "I may be a few years late, but I'll take of the problem now."

"No," Pakkun retorted. "Before Yuri passed, in addition to her wish regarding her child, her words were—"

_"Tell them, my friends, that . . . this time, it is we who are lost. Our deaths are not in vain, though. The problem will be eliminated, but those warriors will not be from our generation. Our children will come out victorious in the final battle. Tell them that… Tell them so that they will not die, too… I won't be able to live with myself if I see any one of my friends in the afterlife so early…"_

"She struggled to speak but, if you wish to make her truly happy, do not risk your life as the Fourth is doing at this moment and help raise the child she left behind."

"But even with his power, Minato will—"

"Mikoto-san, he was the one who spoke to Yuri before her death. He knows fully well the role he is to play, and he didn't even allow Kakashi to help him _get_ to the battlefield. He will not be happy if he sees either one of you within a mile of the battle tonight."

"But he—"

" _'If you really want to help,' _he said, _'then start with the wounded and then continue on with your lives as normally as possible with Yuri's child. Do as Yuri would have wanted, and keep her daughter out of the elders and the council's eye. I need you two to stay alive, for my child would also need your guidance once this is all over.' _"

Mikoto's eyes widened. "Then that means, Kushina…!" She couldn't even bring herself to believe it, let alone say it. "What . . . what about Kushina? How is she?"

But in the end, Pakkun could only shake his head.

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Kushina could only stare at her son, unable to hold him as he cried. She felt so weak, like she had never felt before. She could feel her eyelids getting heavier and heavier. It did her no good to continue thinking about how abandoned her son would feel, having no parents. It only made her feel worse, knowing that they needed to leave another newborn in her friends' care. She had heard about Yuri and Kaien from her husband. She could not believe how the vampire aristocrats passed on like that. Yuri and her husband had been one of the strongest people she knew. For such an event to even have happened like that, she could only curse the heavens.

"Naruto…" she said, struggling to even speak. "Listen to your mother, 'kay? Don't be a picky eater… Eat heartily . . . so you can grow up big and strong… Take a bath . . . every day and keep warm… And . . . don't stay up late… Get enough sleep… And make friends… You don't need a lot . . . just a few that you can really trust… And I was never really good at it, but . . . study hard and practice your techniques… But everyone has things they're good at and things they're not… So if you have a hard time, don't let it get you down… Respect your teachers at the academy and listen well to Mikoto and Fugaku… Oh, and . . . one more important thing… Be especially careful when lending and borrowing money… Save . . . the money you earn on missions . . . and don't drink until you're twenty… And drinking too much is not good for you anyway so take it easy…! And as for women, I'm a woman myself . . . so I don't really understand, but . . . anyway, there are only men and women, so you will find yourself . . . interested in women… But don't just . . . fall for a strange one… Find . . . a woman just like your mom!"

"Oh, and speaking of teachers, watch out for Jiraiya-sensei!" Minato added, smiling.

"Naruto…" A tear ran down her face. "You will face . . . so many painful times . . . and hard times… But just be yourself . . . and have your dreams . . . and the confidence to make those dreams come true…! I really, really, really, really, really wish I could be there for you more . . . to teach you so many more things… I really wish I could be with you longer… I love you…" She never took her eyes off of her child. It would be a long while before she was able to see him again. She could hardly wait for that. "I'm sorry for talking so much, Minato…"

"No… It's alright…" He turned his attention back to his son. He had no regrets about what he did. He knew his son would live up to his name. "Naruto, as your father, I'll just second everything your chatty mom said… So, listen to your motor-mouth mom…"

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Itachi knew when he was not to speak. He knew when he was not to make any witty comments. And he knew this was one of those times. He had been listening to his parent's conversation by the door and, needless to say, he had been knocked to the floor when he heard that his Auntie Yuri and Uncle Kaien had left this world. He had not known them well, but he knew his parents were close to them, despite the fact that they were pureblooded vampires. He found it weird that his parents and the Fourth were friends with the strongest of the enemy race, but he held no prejudice against the two. In fact, he had really liked them. They were very kind and gentle creatures, and they showed no signs of being a danger to the human race. He could not picture them making any enemies. He could only picture them as being loved by everyone they knew and met. And so, when he heard that it was _that man_ who had caused their deaths, he blamed his own clan for being unable to remove the problem before it escalated to so much trouble.

He heard his brother cry out in frustration, trying to get a better look into the cradle. He let himself smile a bit, in spite of the serious tone that colored the room at that moment. He picked up his brother, holding him against the railing and letting him view the little princess that rested in the crib. At first, Sakura didn't realize that the two Uchiha brothers were watching her but, when she heard Sasuke's confused squeal, she turned her round head towards them. Her spring green eyes betrayed her puzzlement, and the two infants just stared at each other for a while. It took a while, but this exchange was broken when Sasuke gave another cry—this time, clearly out of contentment—and smiled at the girl, his arms reaching out for her. And seeing this, Sakura returned the smile—pacifier in her mouth—and squealed.

Itachi watched on with amusement. His brother, though less than a year old, was known to be very picky, often throwing tantrums if he didn't like something. This little show had been quite the surprise for him. He had never seen his little brother this accepting of someone other than their mother before, not even himself. When Sasuke had met Itachi, he gave his older brother a little scrunched-up face, signalizing his dislike. It took a while for the newly-brought-home infant to get used to his brother, and it was a miracle that he did. This little demonstration only showed how correct Yuri and Mikoto were when they had played match-maker and how these two were definitely meant to be.

Itachi smirked. It would seem like he would have _loads_ of fun in the upcoming years. After all, with nothing like a massacre planned, Itachi would have to find _some_ way to be his brother's obstacle.

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**Aka-chan = baby; infant**

**Gomennasai = I'm sorry (formal)**

**Kiseru = Japanese Smoking Pipe**

**Whew! That's done… Took me a long while too… Sorry if it's a bit crappy! But yeah… Usually my chapters are this long, give or take… Sometimes if I'm really too into it, it'll probably be too long… And I actually had this typed out already! There was something wrong with the website, and it wouldn't let me edit my stories! So, yeah, please review~!**


	3. Part One, Chapter Two: The Three Kids

_Twelve years later, to the present…_

The targets all were hit, all right at the bull's eye mark. To everyone else, it would have been good enough—in fact, it was _more_ than enough to put a smile on anyone's face—but this boy wasn't just some anybody. No, he was the second-in-line for the position of clan head right after his older brother. And for anyone in this sort of position, it only meant that everybody else was watching—if only just quietly envying and admiring them or if only just waiting for one of them to screw up and make a mistake. It was the way it worked between those of prominent clans and those who had nothing better to do other than gossiping and going on missions. Of course, being his impassive self, the boy felt no pressure. He knew he had to do his best, and he knew he had to make his family proud of him, just as they were proud of his ANBU brother. However, it would have been much easier for him if he had not been born into the Uchiha clan.

"Sasu-chan!"

He felt his left eye twitched when he heard his nickname. He had never liked it when someone gave him a moniker or pet name. To him, those kinds of things were only for little children still stuck in some childhood fantasy or wonderland—whatever they called it. And he had no time for such things. Another setback of being born as the second heir.

"_Sasu-chan_!"

Again, he heard the voice call him, but he didn't chastise her. There were only two people—well, maybe three if "foolish little brother" counted—he actually tolerated who could use a pet name with him. One was his mother who now came out into the practice field. Now being his mother, Mikoto could get away with many things. The nickname, for one. Sasuke practically paled whenever he heard that dreaded moniker his mother had given him. It made him sound like a _girl_, and a girl Uchiha Sasuke was _not_! But he chose to stay quiet about it. After all, being the lady of the house and the matriarch of the clan, Mikoto had plenty of ways to punish him and torture him—he knew his mother would never resort to those options, but she would always find a way to guilt-trip him, and that was _not_ a line he wanted to cross. Now, the second person . . . she was different. She wasn't even from his clan, as far as he knew it. (However, she was to become a part of it someday, as his mother kept telling him.) He never really minded her, though he always called her annoying. She was just someone there, someone he could always count on to be there for him—though he'd never admit it.

As he adjourned his training session, he found it odd that it was his mother who had interrupted his exercise. It was usually that annoying girl who did so.

"_Really_, Sasu-chan," Mikoto said, finally within talking range. "You should do other things besides train all day."

The boy resisted an urge to roll his eyes. If his mother had caught him doing that during one of her nagging rants, she'd smack him, and then the ranting would just go on longer than it was initially supposed to be. And he would never risk such a thing. (He kept telling himself he just didn't want to waste any more time he could have spent training but, in actuality, he knew he just didn't want to get slapped. His mother's hand was like a whip, maybe even worse, and it hurt. _A lot_.)

"I know you hate being compared to your brother, but take Itachi as an example," the Uchiha matriarch continued. "When he was your age, whenever he could, he'd _always_ help me around the house. The most he'd train was three _hours_ a day. You, on the other hand, spend the _whole_ day. It's not healthy, sweetie."

Sasuke _tsk_ed. His mother was just being herself, he knew, but sometimes he wished she'd be less of a worrywart. It sure would have lessened her nagging by a bit. "I take breaks," he said. "Plus, you don't _need_ extra help around the house. Sakura's always helping you."

"Oh, come now, Sasuke. You can't always expect the girl to be a housewife. She's only thirteen, after all. She's got things to do and friends to meet. She also has a part time job, too. I don't like it when she takes time out of her day just to help me. Plus, I'd like it if I could spend some alone time with my son today."

The boy raised an eyebrow. "Sakura's not home?" That was odd. She never worked at the Yamanaka flower shop this late before. She would always be home at this time.

"Well, you two just graduated from the academy today. I wanted to make a nice dinner, but I didn't have all the ingredients, so I needed her to run a few errands, grocery shopping mostly." Mikoto almost giggled. It was really cute seeing her youngest son worry for his fiancée.

"_Errands_? At _this_ time?"

Again, Mikoto had to hold down her urge to tease him. "Daijōbu," she told him. "Your brother went with her. They should be back soon."

Sasuke didn't speak. It was strange for Sakura not to tell him she was going out or where she was going. It was the first time this had ever happened. And he had to say, he _didn't_ like it. He ignored the little voice in his head that told him he just didn't like the idea that _Itachi_ had gone with her.

This time, Mikoto couldn't help but giggle just a tiny bit. "Don't show that kind of sour face. She didn't want to disturb your training, and I _insisted_ that your brother go with her. Like you, I don't like it when she has to go out at this hour."

"_Hn_…" He shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pant pockets. As long as Sakura knew whose fiancée she was then he was fine with anything she did. But for some reason, that little voice in his head kept telling him to go help the girl. After all, _he_ was her fiancé—not Itachi. But he ignored the voice. "You said you wanted help?"

Mikoto smiled at her son's offer. "Yes, I do, but you've got to wash up first. I don't want your sweaty self in my kitchen. It'll stink up the whole place!"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

The day had been beautiful—sunny and clear. The birds had sung, and the sun wasn't too blazing hot. There had been a slight breeze here and there but, for Uzumaki Naruto, the wind was blowing past him very fast actually. All the buildings were passing by him in a blur, but he could still make out the signs. What was the boy doing, you may ask? He was running. Why? Well, if you listened closely, you would've heard a few Hunters yelling at him to stop. These people usually called Naruto a lot of things, many horrible things, in fact. But today, they only called him a vandalizing brat. As far as name-calling went, that was one of the _better_ things Naruto was called. And _why_ were they calling him that? Well, there was a paint brush and a can of paint in his hands. You may wonder why this would get him into trouble but, if you turned your attention to the Hokage Mountain, well, you'd understand. The Shodai looked as though snot was coming out of his nose, the Nidame looked as though he had a few scars, the Sandaime looked like a pirate, and the Yondaime looked like a clown! Oh, if Naruto only knew…

The chase went on for quite some time. Every now and then, the two Hunters looked as though they'd caught up with him, but Naruto always managed to give them the slip. This time, however, seemed as though those Hunters didn't know where the boy went.

"_Ha_! Some Hunters… Can't even catch an academy student!" The boy laughed as he came out of his hiding spot. He was so caught up in his success that he didn't look where he was going. "_Oops_! Gomen, gomen!" He bumped into a girl and spilled some paint over her. _Hopefully, she'll accept my apology…_

"_Oh_? Naruto-kun?"

He paused in his thoughts. This girl sounded very familiar. In fact, she wasn't at all like some of the villagers who just sneered at him. Just where had he heard her soft and gentle voice before? It was on the tip of his tongue. He just had it, but it was gone again. Unable to match a name to the voice, he looked down at the girl he had knocked over. He immediately recognized her. After all, pink hair was a very uncommon thing in Konoha. "_Oh_, Sakura-chan!" He felt awful now. "I didn't mean to bump into you! I wasn't looking, and—oh, I got paint all over you! I'm so sorry, _and_-_and_—"

"Idiot, you already apologized," the pink-haired girl said, giggling a bit at his antics that she thought were funny. "You don't need to give me an explanation. I'm not going to _sue_ you. Now,"—she held out her hand and gave him a small smile—"You mind helping me up?"

"Oh, right, sorry!" He spit out quickly as he grabbed her hand and helped her up.

"What did I _just_ tell you about apologizing?" she said after dusting off her dress. The paint was still wet, and so her hands ended up being rainbow-colored just like her outfit.

"Oh, right, sor—"

"If I hear that _one more time_—"

_**I swear, this kid's more annoying than that pig-friend of yours!**_

Naruto's face paled as he suddenly became as quiet as a mouse. He knew not to get on the Haruno's bad side—heck, _everyone_ knew that. Even the Uchiha and Hyuga clans preferred to please her rather than anger her. Her temper was just as well known as the name of the clan she was to marry into.

"So what are you doing here?" he asked her, hoping to lighten her mood.

It worked. She was smiling again. "I should be asking _you_ that," she countered.

"Oh, come on, Sakura-chan! You can't answer my question like that! And besides, the way you say that makes it sound like I'm doing something I'm not supposed to."

"Well, that's because there's never a day when you're not causing a ruckus and splashing something in my direction."

"Well… That…"

Again, there was another fit of giggles coming from the girl. There was always something nice about spending time with Naruto. Unlike those from the Uchiha clan and her girl friends, there was this aria around him. It was hard not to laugh whenever he was around, and it was hard for Sakura to keep a smile off of her face. (But of course, being Sakura, it was _always_ hard _not _to smile.)

"To answer your earlier question, I'm out grocery shopping. And I just finished. Thank god I did or else everyone at the market would stare at me all weird-like. I already have a weird enough hair color. I don't need anyone making fun of my outfits, too."

_**Yeah, as if those jealous fangirls don't already do.**_

Naruto scratched his head nervously, still feeling guilty about getting paint all over her dress (which was probably somewhat expensive too since Mikoto was most likely the one to have bought it for her). "Oh, _really_? You were out grocery shopping?" he asked, trying to find a way to make it up to her. "Then let me help you carry your things! You know, to apologize for knocking you over just now."

"That won't be necessary, Uzumaki-kun."

The voice made Sakura jump. "_Weasel-kun_!" she scolded, her hand over her heart. "If I told you _once_, I told you a million times _not_ to sneak up on me! You know I hate it when you do that!"

_**Hate, loath, despise—heh, what's the difference?**_

The Uchiha gave her an apologetic smile, his hand ruffling her hair while the other held all the grocery bags. "Gomen ne, Saki, I always forget. Hm… Was your dress _always_ that colorful?"

Sakura ignored that last comment. "Well, just don't do it again." she said, her face flushed red. She had a feeling that he'd sneak up on her again on some other day, just as he would always mess up her hair. She had always disliked it when he treated her like some three-year-old. She had never liked being babied.

"It's good to see you again, Naruto."

"Same here, Itachi," the blonde replied. "Got any good ANBU stories to tell me this time?"

"Gomen ne, Naruto." the Uchiha apologized. "But Sakura and I have to get these grocery bags back home or my mother will have my head."

"_Heh_, I never thought the great Uchiha prodigy would be _afraid_ of someone."

"Everyone has things and people they're afraid of," Itachi explained. "It's the way we deal with them that counts. For example, how am I supposed to explain to my brother and my mother about Sakura's new dress?" He gestured to the girl's paint-covered front. If he hadn't been an Uchiha, he would've laughed.

Now Naruto felt even guiltier. "It was a _new_ dress?" His voice rose two octaves.

_**Damn right, it was a new dress…**_

"How much?"

Itachi was about to answer, but Sakura intervened, stomping on his foot. His mouth immediately shut, trying to suppress a loud "_Itai_." Yeah, though he was an Uchiha, there were times when even _he_ didn't know when to shut up.

"It doesn't matter," the pink-haired girl said, trying to wave off the subject. "It's just a dress, and paint comes off, after all. It'll be fine after a run in the wash."

"Well . . . if you say so, Sakura-chan."

"And speaking of paint, were _you_ the one who decorated our Hokage monument?" Itachi asked.

"_Anoo_ . . ."

He smirked a bit after turning to glance at the mountain carvings. "It has never looked better."

Any feeling of fear disappeared from Naruto. He had thought the guy was going to turn him in. He should've known better. After all, Itachi had never followed his namesake before. He could never weasel anyone out.

"Anyhow, you must be quite famished since you were running so much trying to get away from your pursuers. How about coming over for dinner?" Itachi offered.

"_Well_…" Naruto was never the one to turn down free food, but when it came to dining with the Uchiha family…

"Come on, Naruto, say yes!" Sakura said. "I mean, the last time you ever came over for dinner was almost half a _year_ ago! Mikoto-san wouldn't mind if you came at the last minute! She _enjoys_ having you over! She _adores _you! And I _promise_ Sasuke-kun will be on his best behavior!"

_**Can you **_**really**_** promise that?**_ the sneering voice asked the girl. _**Do you really **_**think**_** that your Uchiha fiancé would agree to that?**_

Again, Sakura ignored it.

However, at the name of his rival, Naruto didn't need to debate with himself anymore. "Well, I'd love to, but you know… Iruka-sensei is probably looking for me right now—you know, to clean up the mess I made. It would be rude of me to have to leave in the middle of dinner. And speaking of Sensei, I think I hear him now."

"But—"

"I'll see you around, 'kay, Sakura-chan? You, too, Itachi!" And then he ran off, waving goodbye.

Sakura could only sigh, shaking her head.

"Worried about him?"

_**Yes, **_**worried**_** about him?**_

She scoffed, ready to use her paint-covered hand to finger paint Itachi into a clown. "Like your brother would _ever_ allow it. You know," she spoke to the Uchiha who stood next to her. "The reason I don't have any guy friends is because of your brother, right? All he has to do is look at them with that glare of his, and they _all_ start running for the hills! And he does that all the time!"

Itachi gave a small chuckle and a smirk as Sakura began to walk off in the direction of the Uchiha compound. _Well, just like you become jealous of his fangirls, my foolish little brother is the same whenever you're with one of your fanboys._

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Naruto crossed his arms. He had always hated the wait he had to endure after ordering a bowl of ramen at Ichiraku's. He knew they had to take their time to cook the noodles and boil the soup so that it'd always be delicious, but he wished the wait would be shorter, though he didn't _really_ mind. The only times he did mind were times like these, when Iruka would scold him during the wait.

"Naruto, if I told you _once_, I've told you a hundred times _not_ to get in trouble!" his teacher said. "I mean, no one else causes as much trouble as _you_! Don't you have anything else, anything _better_, to do? This time, you even desecrated the _Hokage monument_! Exactly, _what_ is your excuse for that?"

". . . I was just bored."

Iruka's teeth grinded as he clenched them together. "_Bored_?" he asked, almost as if he thought he hadn't heard correctly. "_That's_ your excuse?"

"Well, what did you _expect_?" the boy grumbled, crossing his arms. His mouth stretched into a long pout. "I mean, it's not like I have any _friends_!"

"Well, what about Hinata?" Iruka asked. "She's always nice to you."

Naruto gave a scoff. "Yeah, like the Hyuga clan would ever allow _me_ to befriend their heiress…" It was then that his order was finally ready. He clapped his hands together and bowed his head to the chef. "_Itadakimasu_!" And he started consuming his dinner.

"Well then, what about Sakura?" the brown-haired hunter suggested. "Like Hinata, she's nice to you, too. If you can manage not to get her angry at you, she can actually be very sweet."

Naruto thought about it, pausing in mid-slurp—noodles hanging out of his mouth. "_Hm_…" he hummed before finishing his mouthful.

"She enjoys spending time with you, and she doesn't bully you. Her temper may be horrid, but she does indeed treat you like a very good acquaintance. Can't _she_ be considered a friend of yours?"

With a small frown and a staid face, Naruto could only stare at his bowl of noodles as Iruka spoke. Yes, Sakura was really nice to him (and so was Hinata). But…

As he brought some noodles up to his mouth again, he gave Iruka his reasoning. "That fiancé of hers scares me. He's not like his brother or his parents, and his glare is different from everyone else's… He looks at me as if I had stole something precious from him, like I'm a thief."

Iruka sighed, shaking his head a bit. "He looks at all the other guys in your class like that, too." A smile tugged at the man's mouth as he recalled the younger Uchiha brother.

"Nuh-_un_!" Naruto argued. "He only glares at them whenever they _talk_ to Sakura-chan! With me, he glares at me even if I'm _not_ talking to her!"

Iruka had to swallow down the laugh that bubbled up in his throat. Uchiha Sasuke was not the type to tolerate "_sharing_"—in fact, he was more of the jealous and possessive type. (Iruka made a mental note to inform the boy's parents of that, lest it manifests itself into fights.) And Naruto always spent much of his time talking to his fiancée. It was fairly easy to see why Sasuke would always look at Naruto with a death glare that was scarier than his normal one. Iruka just couldn't see how Naruto didn't understand that. Was the boy _really_ that dense?

"It's not funny, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto yelled, standing up from his seat and slamming his hands on the counter. "I have no friends or any family! Until I met Sakura-chan, I really was alone! I really wanted to be part of her group of friends! And now, the only person standing in my way of becoming _real_ friends with her is that _stupid_ Uchiha fiancé of hers!"

"Naruto, _wait_!" But it was no use. The boy had run out of his sight by the time Iruka even stood up. The school teacher ran his hand through his brown locks. "Now, _really_… What am I going to do with him?"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

The boy sighed, brooding over the day. It hadn't been a very good day. He sat in a secluded area in the park, and it was getting dark, but it didn't matter to him. After all, he had no one waiting at home for him. And what was there to go home to other than that empty apartment of his?

"Hey there. You out here alone?"

Naruto looked up, a bit shocked that someone was talking to him. "Oh, Mizuki-sensei! What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, actually." the light-blue-haired man said as he sat next to the boy. "I saw what happened between you and Iruka. Please try to understand him. He's only looking out for you, after all."

". . . You saw _that_?" Naruto asked, feeling quite ashamed of himself. His head dropped, his gaze now focused on the grass. He did truly regret yelling at his teacher like that.

The man gave a soft smile and looked up at the now-appearing stars. "I can see that you don't want to talk about it, so I'll tell you a little secret since you were the only one out of your class who didn't graduate. In fact, not only will you graduate but you'll also make Iruka real proud of you."

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Hm… I wonder why all the Hunters have been called to the Hokage mansion," Sakura said aloud. She had been busying combing her hair, getting ready for bed as Mikoto had instructed her to do, but, when she saw how worried the Uchiha matriarch had seemed, she knew _something_ was up. And of course, being the worrywart she was, Sakura immediately assumed the worst. She paused what she was doing and turned to glance at the Uchiha in the room. "You don't think anything _bad_ has happened, do you, Sasuke-kun?" she asked.

_**Of course, something bad has happened. When has the Hokage ever called in all the Hunters as a **_**joke**_**?**_

As she usually did, Sakura ignored her Inner. The little entity never really had anything good to say. It was just the way it had always been. Inner would make nasty side comments, and Sakura would just do her best to ignore them. Of course, Sakura never confided this to anyone—not even the Uchiha matriarch—for fear of being labeled insane.

The Uchiha's eyes shifted upwards away from the book he was reading and to the girl that sat on the couch. If it had been anyone else who had disturbed him, the Uchiha wouldn't even have spared a glance in their way. But since it was Sakura, he just gave a monotonous, "Hn, quit your worrying. It's probably nothing."

Her eyes fell downwards, staring at the floor for a while. She had known she would get an answer like that. She just wanted to believe him, but she had that gut feeling that something bad was happening or was going to happen. She just couldn't shake it. It was a really strong feeling, so she knew it was happening somewhere close. She just wondered what. Needless to say, though, she gave a small sigh before nodding her head and feigning belief in her fiancé's words.

_**You can't possibly **_**believe**_** him, can you? I mean, he didn't even say anything **_**remotely**_**comforting! You're such an IDIOT!**_

As her Inner's voice became louder, Sakura's head began to pound. It felt as though someone was hammering against her brain. And if that wasn't bad enough, she herself felt overheated—almost as if she had come out of a steamy shower or maybe even the hot springs. Even the slightest of breezes stung against the girl's sensitive skin, adding even more to her condition. But this queasiness didn't affect Sakura's small trait of timidity. She had never liked to impose on people or even seem as though she needed help and/or comfort. (Hey, living with the Uchiha family kind of does that to you, after all.) She didn't like being belittled or fussed over. And so, she clutched her head, making sure this action was out of Sasuke's view. She also bit her lip so as to not make a sound that would indicate her sudden lapse. Even though they were only two other people in the house, she still didn't want to cause a scene.

_**Ha! Do you really think that your oh-so **_**wonderful**_** fiancé won't notice?**_

And true to Inner's words, Sasuke was already by the girl's side. When the comb had fallen onto the floor and out of Sakura's hand, he immediately knew what was wrong—well, he had a pretty good idea of what ailed the girl. Sakura usually had lapses like this.

But of course, he wasn't the only stubborn one in the house. Refusing to allow him to see her in pain—or at least, watch her face scrunch up in pain—Sakura brought her feet up to her seat, resting her head against her knees, and rolled into a somewhat fetal position.

"Tch, annoying girl…" His hand found its way underneath her chin—oh, how nice his cool skin felt against Sakura's burning skin—and forced the girl to look him in the eye. "How you passed and became a Hunter with _this_ reoccurring migraine is beyond me. You can barely defend yourself in this state. If this were to happen in the middle of a battle—"

"It would be better if you not criticize her so, foolish little brother. After all, it is not her fault that her health is so poor."

"Itachi." Sasuke greeted his brother without turning back to look at him.

"Weasel-kun…" Even in her pained condition, her eyes squinting, she could still see that the older Uchiha wore his hunter's outfit. "Are you going on a mission?"

Itachi inwardly smiled at the girl's concern. He knew, no matter how used to it she was, whenever she saw anyone in their family don their uniform, she worried constantly. It was just in her nature. (Plus, it was kind of cute.)

"No," he answered. "I'm reporting to the Hokage. Apparently, they've found that Naruto has taken the Shodai's necklace."

"_What_? Why would he do that?"

"Tch, an idiot always an idiot…" Sasuke muttered, crossing his arms. He had not been blind when Sakura's eyes widened at the blonde's name. For some reason, he _really_ didn't like his fiancée worrying about another guy. It really didn't sit well with him.

"I don't know." Itachi answered, ignoring his brother's comment. "That's why I'm going to the Hokage."

"Naruto's always joking around," Sakura quickly added, despite the pain she was in. "Maybe he doesn't know how serious this is. He probably doesn't even know it's a _crime_ to take the Shodai's necklace."

"I know, Saki. My parents and I won't let anything bad happen to Naruto, so don't worry too much. And get to bed earlier today. I don't want you getting another migraine tomorrow when you're placed in your team."

"H-Hai…"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"So . . . here you are."

Naruto turned around and smiled at the Hunter, running up to him. "Iruka-sensei! _Aw_, you've found me!" But joyous as he felt when he saw he had company, his smile quickly disappeared. "But does that mean I failed?"

"_Failed_?" Iruka asked. The confusion written on his face was hard to ignore. "Just what are you talking about, Naruto?"

"This test." Naruto said, pointing at the necklace he wore. He showed it proudly. "Mizuki-sensei said that, if I could get past all of the ANBU and hunters, I passed one of the hardest tests given to a Level 3 Hunter, and I could graduate! He said that, if I could pull it off, I could make you really proud of me!"

"_What_? Mizuki said that?"

But before Naruto could give an answer, there was a loud thunderous noise that rang throughout the forest.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"You know, for some guy, you're kind of overly worried."

"But he's not just '_some guy_,' Sasuke-kun." Sakura had tried to explain it to him over a few couple of times already since her migraine had receded and her Inner became silent. She could almost _feel_ another headache coming. Why did her fiancé have to be so darn stubborn? "Whether you like it or not, Naruto's my _friend_. I can't help but worry! Stealing something from the Hokage mansion is a big deal! He could be thrown in _jail_!"

The Uchiha just _tch_ed before getting up on his feet. "Go to sleep." He was tired of arguing with her. In fact, he couldn't even understand himself. Naruto was just her friend. Why was he getting so worked up for anyway?

"What? _Already_?" she asked, her face masked in shock and—was that _fear_? Fear for _what_ exactly?

"Sakura, it's almost midnight." He looked down at her, his tone much gentler now. "We've got school tomorrow," he reasoned.

"But…" From her seat, Sasuke thought she seemed even more diminutive which caused her to look much more fearful than she really was. ". . . Can't you stay with me? Just for tonight? Huh?"

If he hadn't been an Uchiha, Sasuke's eyes would have widened and his mouth would have dropped to the floor. But that didn't happen. And within a few seconds, he regained his composure and gave her a small smirk. "If I recall," he said, "It was _you_ who wanted to have separate rooms."

Her eyes didn't meet his, and her face lowered, her eyes staring at her fidgeting feet. "Yeah, I know, but this…" She grabbed on to the hem of his shirt, tugging on it. "This could be the last night we have time to be with each other because, after tomorrow, we'd be busy with missions… I'd like to spend as much time with you as possible before getting placed into teams tomorrow…"

"Sakura…"

"At least . . . when you start to enjoy the company of the female hunter on your team, I can look back on these memories. You'd probably like her better. She'd probably be less annoying than me…"

Speechless, Sasuke just stared at the rosette head. _Really_, what in the world did he do to get a fiancée like her?

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Eh-heh-heh…" Naruto scratched his head, looking a bit bashful. "_Anoo_ . . . I might have gotten a bit carried away…" he said, looking at how beaten up Mizuki was. But then, when he looked at Iruka, his eyes began to water. "Sensei…"

"_Hm_? What is it, Naruto? Are you hurt somewhere?"

"No, it's just that…" He wiped away any stray tears. "The thing inside of me… Gomennasai, Sensei… It killed your parents, and . . . _and_—"

"And here I was worried about nothing."

"_Huh_?"

"Naruto, I said it before… You're not the fox demon. You're a member of Konoha. You're Uzumaki Naruto. Don't you ever forget that." And then he stood. "Come on. Let's go get you a bowl of ramen. I bet you're hungry after—"

And as Naruto tackled his teacher into a hug, Itachi just watched from a nearby treetop and smiled.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"I expected something like that," the Hokage said after being told the whole story. "Naruto could never have done something like this without somebody else orchestrating this whole shenanigan. I'll call off the rest of the Hunters and call it a day. Oh, and, if you see Naruto, tell him he can keep the necklace. Tsunade's not coming back for it, and no one else has any purpose for it anyway. Oh, and tell him he can graduate." He went back to signing documents and reading reports. However, when he realized that the person was still there, he looked back up. "Is there something _else_ you wanted to talk to me about, Itachi?"

"Yes, actually. I have a request for my brother and Haruno Sakura's teams."

"_Oh_? And what is it?"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

He returned home later that night. He was tired. Of course, who _wouldn't_ be after filing all of that paperwork? However, he couldn't complain. He got what he wanted. And when he returned home, he didn't find it surprising that the house was quiet. His parents were probably still briefing the other Hunters about what had occurred with Naruto and Mizuki, and the two teens were probably already asleep. And yet, despite knowing this, he took it upon himself to do his mother's job and went to check on the "little kiddies."

Itachi made sure he was quiet and opened the door to the room he knew wasn't going to meet him with a death glare from his younger brother. But the sight he saw gave way to another smile on his face. There, on the bed, his hand wrapped around his fiancée—in an almost overprotective manner, Itachi might add—was his younger brother. And Sakura slept just as peacefully, her head snuggled into Sasuke's chest. Of course, he had seen this many times before, but the last time he had seen it was over four years ago before Sakura had suggested it when she started to, _err_, "blossom" a bit earlier than normal, so this came as quite the surprise.

_Ah, foolish little brother…_ he thought. _You forgot to lock the door, and now I have something new to blackmail you with._ And he tiptoed away, looking for his camera he saved _especially_ for moments like this.

* * *

**Anoo = um  
****Daijōbu = don't worry  
****Gomen, gomen = sorry, sorry  
****Gomen ne = sorry  
****Hai = yes  
****Itadakimasu = thanks for the food  
****Itai = ow; ouch  
****Nidame = 2nd Hokage  
****Sandaime = 3rd Hokage  
****Sensei = teacher  
****Shodai = 1st Hokage  
****Yondaime = 4th Hokage**

**Yay! Chapter done! And yes, I _know_ the chapter has a cheesy name, but I couldn't think of one that suited, and so yeah… Sorry it took two whole _months_ to update, but I had too many research papers to do, and I had other fanfics, and yeah… Please review!**

**Also, you guys wouldn't be mad if I made Haku a girl, right?**

**And, also, any ideas for the chunin exams arc? I really don't have a clue as to what I'll do for that…**


	4. Part One, Chapter Three: The Team

Sasuke was almost sure—horribly, completely, and utterly _certain_—that his older brother was up to something. How did he know? Well, it was fairly simple when Itachi wore a small smile on his face even though his mother scolded him for not helping her and his father with the other Hunters to clear up Naruto's situation. Both Itachi and Sasuke knew that if they didn't take their mother's scolding seriously (or at least, seriously in front of her face) then they'd earn a small smacking. And this was what happened to the elder of the Uchiha brothers. Sasuke could still see the red print of his mother's hand on his brother's face. But regardless of such an embarrassing mark on his profile, Itachi still had on a smile—something Sasuke, and _only_ Sasuke (as of yet), found strange. _Very_ strange. His brother was up to _something_, something he had no idea what it was. In fact, he was going to say something about it, but then…

"_AHH_! I'M LATE! SASU-_CHAN_! WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP?"

Sasuke almost face-palmed. He knew he was in for it now. Sakura only used that nickname with him if she was mad—furious, infuriated, and pissed off. And when her temper flared, _nothing_ good came out of it. _Nothing_.

A chuckle came from the ANBU sitting at the table. "Well, I never thought you could have gotten even more foolish, little brother."

"Hn." Oh, how much Sasuke wanted to punch that smile off of his brother's face…

And so, the Uchiha family listened to Sakura's morning run. She always had the same routine whenever she overslept, and it went something along these lines: running to the bathroom, failing to look where her feet landed and tripping over random items like a towel or a book, brushing her teeth while taking a quick morning shower, drying her hair while attempting to also put on her clothes, (afterwards, falling down and yelling in pain,) and running out of the bathroom and down the stairs.

"Sakura-chan, come and eat your breakfast!" Mikoto called to the girl who tripped on the last stair and landed flat on her face.

"_Che_, annoying…"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, _JERK_?" Sakura yelled. She rushed over to the table, taking her seat next to Sasuke. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I _did_ try. It's not _my_ fault that you're a heavy sleeper."

A death glare went his way. (Hey, it'd be pretty bad if Sakura never picked up on the Uchiha glare during all those years…)

"No fighting at the table," Fugaku said, his voice calm. He didn't even need to look up from the papers he was reading. Who needed to? After all, for every single morning since the couple had started going to school, there was a routine that they followed even if Sasuke and Sakura didn't know it themselves. Today's morning routine was Routine #6: an angry oversleeping beauty.

Once breakfast concluded, the two Hunter students went off—Sakura stomping out of the room followed by an annoyed Sasuke—to the academy, leaving behind the others who could only watch as Routine #6 carried out. Really, they were just _too_ predictable.

Itachi could only shake his head. If only those two had waited just a few moments longer, he would have been delighted to walk with them. But now that they've left, Itachi was now left all alone to walk to the academy where he had an assignment.

"Itachi," his father said, eyes now leaving the papers. "Do you have something planned? Your smirk is a little out of place now that your brother is gone."

"You assume too much, Otousan…" Itachi said, finishing the last of his breakfast. He clapped his hands together and muttered a "Thank you for the delicious meal" to his mother.

"Put your dish in the sink," she told him, her own food untouched.

"Is something the matter, Okaasan?" Itachi asked, doing as she said. His mother was always cheerful even in the morning, though everyone else wasn't a morning person like she was. It was strange to see her so down. "You seem troubled." Wanting to use the back door, he sat down and put on his shoes.

"Of course, I am!" Mikoto sighed, slamming her fists onto the table so hard that all the objects on said table almost jumped. "What if my little Sasu-chan doesn't get put in the same team as sweet, lovable, and adorable Sakura-chan? He'll get stuck with a _fangirl_ and fall in love with _her_ and . . . and—"

Fugaku almost rolled his eyes. "Do not worry so, Mikoto," he told her, putting down his papers. "Given the fact that our oldest son is not concerned, neither should you. After all, doing _all_ of the Hokage's paperwork must have gotten him _something_ he wanted."

"Oh, _really_?" She turned to her son. "Is that true, Itachi? Did you ask for something?"

Itachi didn't answer, opening the door. But if Mikoto could only see the smirk that had returned to her son's face, she'd realize he had everything covered.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Sasuke's eyes drifted to the girl walking besides him. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her lips pouted outwards, and her eyes were terribly narrow. He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. She was pissed, he knew that much. If she wasn't then she wouldn't have been trying to _look_ angry.

"Hn, how long are you going to stay mad at me?"

"Who said I was _mad_?" the girl snapped. Sasuke could swear he heard her mumble something like, "Stupid Uchiha, does he even need to _ask_? Of course, I'm mad! Stupid, little pretty boy…" Yeah, something along those lines.

Her Inner, however, was saying something along the lines of **_Slap him, fry him, chop him into little itty-bitty pieces! The boy's too arrogant for his own good!_**

The boy sighed. "You know, if you continue to stay angry, you'll scare off your new teammates."

And with those words, Sakura's mood drastically fell.

"_What_?" Sasuke asked, wondering why the girl had stopped in her tracks. "What did I say?"

_"At least . . . when you start to enjoy the company of the female hunter on your team, I can look back on these memories. You'd probably like her better. She'd probably be less annoying than me…"_

Sasuke almost had the urge to slap himself. _She can_not_ still be thinking about _that_, can she? Doesn't she realize my mother would _kill_ me if I fall for some other girl?_

"Sakura…" he was going to say something to her, but then…

"I hope I get Naruto on my team!" she exclaimed, her mood suddenly climbing so radically high that she surprised even the gods. A huge smile was plastered onto her face, and she looked as though she were proclaiming that she would become the next Miss Konoha.

_**Well, you're mood-jumpy today! Did I **_**miss**_** something?**_

And with that one declaration, Sasuke declared that he would personally castrate that dobe. Maybe, maul him too…

"What are you death-glaring for, Sasuke-kun?" she asked, her previous fury forgotten.

Was he glaring? He didn't realize that he was.

"Oh, come on, I'm just saying that, if he had anyone else on his team, he'd be bullied. He was already hated before and, because of how he graduated last night, the other students will probably get jealous…"

_**Wow, what a saint you are…**_

"Hn…" Sasuke continued towards the academy.

"Wait, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura had to jog to catch up. Why did he have to walk so _fast_?

"You should be more worried about yourself than that _idiot_," he huffed. "That migraine of yours might cause you problems one day."

"_Aw_! Is our little Uchiha worried about his fiancée?"

"Ah! _Ino_!" Sakura shrieked at the blonde who had jumped her just then and wrapped her arms around her neck. "Where did you come from, Pig? I didn't see you behind us."

_**Next time, you should say that you thought she was a rapist and use that as an excuse to slap her!**_

"That's because you're unobservant, Forehead!" Ino beamed, letting go of her friend. "How will you ever be good on the battlefield like _that_?"

"Pig, stop teasing me!"

"Fine, if you really want to know, I was waiting for you guys at your home, but then I saw you all mad and decided to watch the drama play out," the girl explained, hands on her hips. "But all I got was that really loud yell of yours. By the way, all of Konoha probably thinks you have a crush on the dude now."

Sasuke almost choked on air. A _crush_? There was _no way_ Sakura would choose that dobe over him, would she? Mikoto would have a fit, but she wouldn't yell at Sakura. She'd yell at Sasuke, and that was _so NOT_ happening!

He watched closely as the pinkette's face turned redder than her hair. "I DO _NOT_ HAVE A CRUSH ON NARUTO!" she yelped. "I was just worried . . . as a friend, that's all…"

"Ah, come on, Forehead, you shouldn't be so worried about things like that…" The group started their walk again. "You should be more worried about yourself, what with that migraine of yours…"

_Thank you, Yamanaka!_ Sasuke thought. _See, you annoying girl? I'm not the only one who thinks that!_

"But then again, you probably won't have to worry. Sasuke-kun will always be there to protect you."

"_Huh_? Wh-what do you mean, Ino-pig?"

"Well, you're betrothed, aren't you?" the blonde pointed out. It was the most commonly known fact in all of Konoha. "And knowing Sasuke's mom, Mikoto-san probably would have made it so that the whole Uchiha clan dropped hints to the academy instructors and the Hokage to put you guys on the same team."

And our happy couple couldn't have agreed more. It would be just like Mikoto to do such a thing. In fact, she probably stormed into the Hokage office one day and _forced_ the Hokage to have her way. Yeah, that's probably what she did…

"Actually, I really hope not," Sakura said which got her a weird look from her fiancé. "I mean, I love you and all, Sasuke-kun, but, when it comes to your fangirls, I'd rather stay _far_ from you."

_**Yeah, right? I mean, how much more can those bitches hate you?**_

Whatever look Sasuke had shot her lessened by tenfold then. So it was because of the fangirls…

"Speaking of which, Ino, I bet I can beat you again to the academy today."

"Oh, you're _on_, Forehead!"

"See you later, Sasuke-kun!" both girls said before zooming off, leaving only a trail of smoke behind them.

The Uchiha shook his head. _Really_? They did this _every_ day. You'd think that by now they'd have found some other way to gain distance between themselves and him and avoid his fangirls. Plus, with Sakura's strength and temper, she could have easily just scared the fangirls away, and they would just leave her alone. She didn't even need to stay far from him during the school day. He didn't realize it himself, but he did really enjoy her company. And if truth be told, he really hoped his mom had pulled some strings with the Hokage…

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Meanwhile, with a sleeping blonde…

"HOLY S**T, I'M LATE!"

And within the next . . . mostly likely five minutes, Naruto was fully clothed, fully washed, but not fully full and running to the academy because, hey, if he was late again, Iruka would have a fit. This would be, what, his twenty-_fifth_ late this year maybe? Oh, he didn't want to think about it. Iruka usually got harsher with each time Naruto was tardy, and Naruto did not want to ponder what his punishment would be _this_ time.

When he arrived at his classroom, lucky for him, his teacher wasn't there yet. Score one for Naruto!

"Hey, what are you doing here?" one of the kids sneered. "You didn't even graduate! _What_? Did you steal that headband from someone?"

"What did you _say_?" Naruto was about to punch the dude. How dare he insinuate that?

"Stop picking on him, you jerk!"

"Oh, Sakura-chan!" The bully suddenly turned into a lovesick puppy, all nice and pleasant-like, something he wasn't just a moment before. "I was just telling Naruto to get lost. There's no need to trouble yourself with someone like _him_."

The girl scoffed. "You mean, there's no need for me to trouble myself with someone like _you_," she snapped. She grabbed the blonde by the arm. "Come on, Naruto. Let's go." And she dragged the boy away from the tormenter without sparing a glance at said bully.

"Thanks for sticking up for me, Sakura-chan!" the ramen-loving boy said once Sakura had stopped hauling him.

"It's no problem, Naruto, and don't listen to what that jerk said, okay?"

From his seat, Sasuke watched on as the two conversed. He didn't like it as always. Why did she have to talk with _him_? She had other friends like that Yamanaka girl and the Hyuga heiress. Why couldn't she talk to them instead? Did she just want to infuriate him by talking to that . . . that…?

"_Che_, Dobe…"

"What did you call me, _Teme_?" And unexpectedly Naruto forgot all about little Sakura, jumping onto a desk and glaring at the Uchiha who insulted him.

Sakura, off to the sidelines, just sighed. _Why_? Why did they have to fight? Couldn't they be nice and be friends? Why? Were all boys like this?

"Looks like they're at it again," Ino said, she and Hinata finally making their way through the large crowd of fangirls.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Ino-pig. _Seriously_, is there a day when they _don't_ act like that?"

"It . . . it wouldn't be so good if th-they ended up on the same team, would it?" the Hyuga heiress asked. Recently, her stuttering had gotten better and less noticeable, many thanks to the Haruno and Yamanaka. Her confidence was up a lot more, too.

"No, it wouldn't, Hinata-chan… It really wouldn't…"

_**But it would be really interesting!**_

It was around that point, when Naruto and Sasuke were in a heated glaring contest, that a boy behind Naruto bumped into him. The Kyuubi container fell forward, and . . . well, the rest was history (and a well-known fact for all _Naruto_ fans): the two rivals _kissed_!

At this sight, Hinata covered her virgin eyes, Ino covered her mouth to stop herself from squealing, and Sakura . . . she covered her ears so that she didn't get a headache from all of Sasuke's fangirls' screams. But even though she did covered her ears, she still could hear the gist of it, most of it profanities at Naruto. And nevertheless, this trio of girl friends could only laugh when they saw Naruto and Sasuke avoiding each other and choking on their own saliva.

"Well, it looks like you have someone _else_ to worry about now _besides_ the fangirls, Forehead!" Ino guffawed. She never would have thought she'd see the day when _the_ Uchiha Sasuke lost his cool.

"You know, Pig, I never would have thought I'd have to worry about the opposite gender stealing my fiancé's first kiss!" Sakura's laugh was the loudest of the three. She really, _really_ wished she had Itachi's camera right now. This was the _perfect_ picture moment!

"Okay, class, settle down." It was then that Iruka decided to walk in. He gave the new graduates a small lecture before getting down to the real business. He cleared his throat and went on to naming the teams. "Team Seven: Uzumaki Naruto,"

Said boy flinched when he heard his name. He hoped he wouldn't be stuck with any of those jerks or fangirls of Sasuke's. It wouldn't be much of a pleasant experience for him.

"Haruno Sakura,"

A smile lit up Naruto's face as the girl sitting next to him high-fived him. Well, thank god, here was somebody good, and Sakura no less. Now who would be his last teammate?

"And Uchiha Sasuke."

"_WHAT_?" Both Naruto and Sakura jumped out of their seats, the latter's reaction received a glare from her fiancé.

_**I should have seen it coming…**_

"But . . . Iruka-sensei, why do I have to be stuck with _him_?" Naruto asked.

"Well, it's simple, Naruto. You scored the lowest on the graduation test, lower than _any_ student who ever took the test, while Sasuke and Sakura scored the highest, so that should even out the team."

"But . . . isn't there a _rule_ against putting two betrothed hunters on the same team, Iruka-sensei?" Sakura asked, trying to ignore the scorn of Sasuke's fangirls.

_**Back off, fangirls! The Heavens repel you!**_

"Yes, there is Sakura," Iruka answered, "But the Hokage has made an exception this time, so please do not question it. Also, Team Seven, instead of just _one_ sensei, you will have two—one being a student teacher." And then he went on naming the other teams.

Knowing that she couldn't argue, Sakura sat back down. She would have disputed with Iruka more, but she could feel the starting stages of her migraine coming on. It wouldn't have done her any good if she continued the quarrel. And so, she rested her head on her desk. _Why can't wood be any softer?_ she thought. _Why does it have to be so goddamn hard?_

_**It's **_**wood**_**! What did you expect? That it'd be as soft as a feather?**_

Again, she paid no attention to her Inner, her eyes drooping terribly. She didn't even realize that Sasuke had moved her head onto his lap until her sixth sense told her that his fangirls were glaring at her again. _Damn those bitches…_ She was about to move, but Sasuke's tight grip on her wouldn't allow it. Not wanting to fight with him, she just did as he wanted and used him as a pillow. She was really tired, and the fangirls weren't that big of a problem anyways. They would try and kill her regardless.

Naruto watched this scene with curious eyes. He had always seen Sakura become so unexpectedly tired at the most random of times. He wondered why that was. He also wondered why the Uchiha always seemed even more protective of the girl during these times, always glaring almost _lethally_ at his fangirls if they dared to make a move. He wondered now if being on their team was such a good thing. Sasuke would most certainly leave him behind if Sakura's well-being was at stake, and Sakura . . . she was friends with him, yes, but if Sasuke were in danger then there was no question about it. She'd most definitely choose Sasuke over him. The Kyuubi-container suddenly never felt lonelier.

Sasuke, on the other hand, just thought of Iruka's words. (Of course, he also kept his eyes on his large swarm of fangirls. He'd be damned if he let them get within even a _feet_ of Sakura. Mikoto would kill him if _anything_ happened to the rosette. But anywho…) He wondered why such an arrangement was made for his team. Did his clan have anything to do with it? He was almost _positive_ that that was why the Hokage agreed to something he had never allowed before.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

During the lunch break, as the graduates waited for their sensei, Teams Eight and Ten decided to mingle with our favorite team. _Why_? The reason was simple. The kunoichi on those teams were Sakura's closest friends, the Yamanaka and the Hyuga. When they had saw Sakura take her nap, they became worried. She had never needed to rest so early before, and so they kind of hovered over the betrothed couple, asking Sasuke to let them take care of the cherry blossom—something Sasuke was adamant on _not_ allowing. The boy knew he could trust the two, but he wanted to keep his sleeping fiancée within a close range of him and in his line of vision so that none of his fangirls could get a hold of her. And so, this left Ino trying to get Hinata to talk to Naruto which resulted horribly and fruitlessly. Hinata refused to speak to her crush, and Naruto remained oblivious as he spoke to the male members of the girls' teams.

And as the hour came to an end, most of the teams including Hinata's team had left with their sensei. Ino's team left around the time when Sakura began to stir. However, after the girls said their "See ya" and "Later," Sakura fell right back asleep which got her an eye roll from the Uchiha. But despite the details, Team Seven remained the last team still in the classroom, waiting for their _very_ late sensei. And being the prankster he was, Naruto decided to pull a small prank on their sensei. (Such a surprise, huh?)

"Naruto," Sakura said, not even opening her eyes. She knew what he was doing just by the scuffling of his feet. Actually, no, wait, he was just _that_ predictable. "Don't even try it. The guy's probably a Level Three Hunter. The student teacher, too… It probably won't—"

Once the eraser fell onto a silver-haired Hunter, Sakura stood—or rather, _slept_—corrected. _Really_? Leveled three and he couldn't dodge an eraser? Hm… Perhaps he wasn't so good, after all. The only question remained: was he the student teacher or their sensei?

The pinkette sat up, trying to show respect to the man, but yawned. It had been such a nice nap… She was still rubbing her eyes when the unnamed man spoke.

"Hm… My first impression of you three, I hate you all. Meet me on the roof. Our student teacher shall meet us there later." There was a poof and a puff of smoke, and suddenly the man was gone.

Sakura sighed. "_Great_…" she whined. "But I'm _still_ tired…"

_**Yeah… I'm still tired, too… Some sensei, making us work…**_

Now, it was Sasuke's turn to sigh. Sakura was indeed still so childish… He grabbed the girl and threw her onto his back which resulted in a tight hug and an "Arigato, Sasuke-kun!" He smirked, and said smirk grew wider when he saw Naruto seething at the sight.

"Oh, and Sasuke, Naruto, walk _slowly_!" the girl said. "Since he made us wait, it's only fair if we do the same to him too!"

And the two boys could have never agreed more.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

By the time the team made it to the rooftop, Sakura had had enough of her nap and decided she had enough energy to sit up herself and without Sasuke's support. The three sat on the steps while their sensei just read his book. It took a while, but the man finally noticed his three students.

"Ah, you're _finally_ here…"

**_Don't complain! You made us wait longer!_**

"Anyway, let's get started. Tell me your likes, your dislikes, and your goals. Hobbies, too. Oh, and don't forget your names. Let's start with blondie here."

"Okay, I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I like ramen, and I dislike the three minute wait for ramen to cook and people who look down on me, and my future dream is to be the greatest Hokage! Then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody. Somebody important! And my hobby, hanging out with the friends I have and eating ramen at Ichiraku's!"

The man nodded his head. "Good, good, although I will implore you to find some other things to like. Okay, next, we have Pinky."

And the mood suddenly changed. "Do—_not_—call—me—Pinky! Or I swear, I will punch you all the way to Suna, then to Oto, and back again."

Naruto and Sasuke had the urge to move five feet away from the fuming and ready-to-explode female hunter.

"Okay, I won't," their sensei said, sweating a large sweatdrop.

"_Good_!" And just like that, Sakura was smiling again. "But . . . _anoo_… Can you go on to Sasuke for now? I mean, I've never thought about any of this stuff before…"

"_Che_, and you think _I_ have?" Sasuke asked.

"_Yes_?" Sakura wanted to sound confident, but her answer still came out sounding like a question. A glare from Sasuke, and she gave up. "_Fine_… My name is Haruno Sakura. My likes… _Anoo_… I guess annoying Sasuke-kun!" She could feel his glare intensifying. "I also like plotting things!"

The boys now _really_ wanted to get away from the girl. _Exactly _what things_ does she plot?_

"My dislikes… _Anoo_… Hm… Oh, I hate it when Sasuke uses his monosyllable answers! It's so boring to talk to him! I mean, who understands _'Hn'_ and _'Ah'_ all the time? It's more annoying than_ I_ am!" She continued to ignore the Uchiha's death glare. "I hate it when he calls me annoying! Oh, and I also dislike it when Mikoto-san babies me! But none of you three tell her that, okay? I don't want to hurt her feelings. And my goals… Well, that's a toughie… Hm… I guess one of them would be setting one of my friends up with her crush. Now, that's a _real_ toughie. Oh, and I guess I want to become a good Hunter too. I don't want to be famous or anything, just someone who can protect herself and isn't troubling her teammates. My hobbies… Well, I like doing a lot of things. Do I have to name them all?"

"No, you don't, and I wish you luck on getting your friend together with the boy she likes. Now, all that's left is the Uchiha."

"Hn… My name is Uchiha Sasuke, and I'd rather not tell you my likes. If I did, my fangirls would somehow find out, and they wouldn't leave me alone after that. My dislikes: my army of fangirls, of course, and whenever my fiancée over here annoys me on purpose."

"Hey, what do you expect me to do when I'm _bored_?" the girl asked.

"My goal . . . to surpass my brother."

"Ah, foolish little brother, I am glad you see me as an obstacle. Just make sure you don't trample over my face in the process. My fangirls won't forgive you for that."

"Weasel-kun!" Sakura squealed, much more happier than Sasuke was. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"You will find out later, Sakura-chan." the Uchiha said. "Hatake, isn't it time you tell them _your_ name? Sasuke doesn't do much but train, so you can start telling us about yourself."

"Ok then, let's see… I'm Hatake Kakashi. Things I like and things I hate… I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future… never really thought about it. As for my hobbies… I have lots of hobbies."

Team Seven just wanted to face-palm. _We didn't learn _anything_ about him!_

"Okay, student teacher, your turn."

"_What_?" Sakura expressed both hers and Sasuke's shock. "_You're_ the student teacher, Weasel-kun?"

"_Sweet_!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Hn…" Sasuke said. "So it was _you_ who pulled the strings this time. And here I thought it was all _Mother's_ doing."

"Give your brother his props, Sasuke," Itachi said, feigning hurt. "I am not _always_ the bad guy who wears purple nail-polish and a weird black outfit with red clouds on it. Okay, so . . . as you all know, I am Sasuke's older brother, Itachi. I like making fun of my little brother and his fiancée."

"_Hey_!" Sakura yelled.

"Not fun, is it?" Sasuke asked, smirking. "Knowing someone's always there annoying you, _huh_?"

"Don't you start, Uchiha!"

"My dislikes . . . fangirls, but they _do_ serve their purpose _once_ in a while…" Itachi continued.

"_Ew_… Itachi, you don't use them as _prostitutes_, do you?"

"No, Naruto," Itachi answered. "They will do everything I tell them to, and so . . . if I tell them to get me a drink of water, they will. If I want to clean my room, I can just call one of them to do it."

"Oh… That's very convenient then."

"Yes. Yes, it is." Itachi nodded. "Now, where was I? Oh, yes, my goals… I do not have one at the moment. And my hobbies, spending time with my younger brother."

"_Aw_…" Sakura exclaimed. "That's just cute!"

"_Che_, not when he just wants to call me his _'foolish little brother'_."

* * *

**Arigato = thank you  
****Oto = Sound Village  
****Suna = Sand Village**

**And done! So . . . did you guys like it this time? I hope you did! I didn't get many reviews on my last chapter, so I'm hoping you liked that too!**

**Oh, and you guys won't mind if I made Haku a girl, right?**


	5. Part One, Chapter Four: The Bell Test

"This is all _your_ faults…" Sakura snarled, her stomach growling in agreement. She should have followed her gut—her _very hungry_ gut—this morning. Kakashi had been fashionably late the other day. What in the world had made her believe that he'd even be _remotely_ on time today? She blamed herself for being so stupid. Actually, no, she blamed the two brothers who waited with her. It was all _their_ faults. Mikoto had made them such a big breakfast this morning. From the contents, Sakura could tell it took the Uchiha matriarch a lot of time—_a whole lot of time_—to make. Of course, she was going to eat it, despite Kakashi's warning to her team not to eat breakfast today. She couldn't waste Mikoto's hard work just because some Class Three Hunter told her not to, and she was just about to sit down and eat when the weasel had dragged her out of the dining room and explained to his mother that Kakashi told them not to eat breakfast. Sakura didn't even have the time to even glance apologetically at Mikoto or to see the hurt look on the Uchiha matriarch's face before the two brothers dragged her out of the house. Oh, she'd make sure those two _paid_… (She also made a mental note to apologize to Mikoto on skipping out and wasting her food and hard work.)

"_Anoo_ . . . Sakura-chan, I don't get it." Naruto innocently scratched his head in confusion. He would have asked a bit earlier if he hadn't been debating on asking her since he was afraid of her temper. "_What's_ their faults?"

"Oh, come now, Sakura," Itachi said, hiding his discomfort. Like most people, he too did not enjoy being on the receiving end of the pinkette's anger. "Kakashi had told us not to eat breakfast, and I was just making sure we followed his instructions."

"Who cares about _that_?" Sakura almost screamed. "Your _mother_ worked over a hot stove this morning to make us that breakfast! How could you _waste_ it?"

Naruto gasped. "You guys _wasted_ Mikoto-san's _cooking_?" From the way he said it, he made it sound as if it were the worst possible thing in the world to happen. "How _could_ you?"

"Well, Kakashi's directions were—"

"Cut the crap!" both brightly hair-colored children snapped. "Wasted food is wasted food! Besides, Kakashi-sensei isn't even _here_ yet!"

Sasuke just rolled his eyes. Sometimes, he wondered why his brother even dealt with their childish antics. It was clear that the two weren't going to listen to whatever explanation Itachi was dishing out, so why was the older Uchiha brother even bothering? He wasn't going to get anywhere with this. It wasn't even a fair fight. It was two-on-one. Itachi had _no_ chance, especially since Sakura's temper had not cooled down yet.

"Oy, foolish little brother, come and save your older brother from your two teammates' yelling."

Sasuke could feel his eyebrow twitching. Despite being a well-known genius, his brother was an _idiot_. Couldn't Itachi see that he _didn't_ want to get involved? "You're the student teacher, Itachi. Go figure something out on your own."

"Oh, I'm hurt that you won't help me, foolish little—"

"Finish that sentence and I _promise_ I will use you as my target for my next practice."

Sakura sighed, giving up the argument. They had been waiting for _hours_ now, and their sensei _still_ hadn't shown up yet. Her Inner was screaming profanities and cussing the guy out, saying that if he wasn't going to show up on time then he shouldn't have told them to come so early. She groaned and looked to the sun's position in the clear sky. It was almost _noon_. Kakashi-sensei better get here soon. She had promised Ino that she would work with her at the flower shop today after practice. There was a new shipping of flowers coming in today, and she was the one with the inventory book today. It would be chaotic if she didn't get there on time. Speaking of that book, Sakura looked through her messenger bag to make sure she had it. She couldn't waste any more time running back home to get it. And after a while of rummaging through her bag, not only did she find her book but also a bag of food and a note attached to it.

"_Oh_?" escaped her lips as she read the neat handwriting. She smiled, mentally thanking her wonderful luck. How she ended up with it, she'd never know. "_Itadakimasu_!" she cheered before chowing down the food. "Oh. Here, Naruto." She handed the blonde one of the biscuits she hadn't taken a bite out of in her rampage of hunger.

"Arigato, Sakura-chan!" And he joined her in devouring food. "_Itadakimasu_!"

"_Oh_?" Itachi raised on eyebrow. "Sneaking in food, are we, Saki? How disobedient—"

"Oh, shut it, Weasel-kun!" she snapped, still eating, as she shoved the note in his face. "Take a look at _this_!"

It was safe to say that the two Uchiha brothers had raised their eyebrows and just stared at their mother's handwriting, unable to believe it.

_Sakura, don't worry too much about skipping breakfast. I had a feeling you'd be forced away to an early training session but, knowing Kakashi, he won't be there on time, and so I packed you a few snacks just in case you were starving. I know you didn't want to waste my hard work, so don't worry. We can always enjoy it when you get back. Signed, Mikoto-mama._

_P.S. Don't give any of the snacks to my sons. Itachi's already stopped growing, so there's no need to feed him. And Sasuke… Heh, he should've known better than to skip out on the breakfast _I_ made. Oh, but you can give some to Naruto. He eats too much ramen, so I'm a bit worried about his nutrition. I packed a bit extra for him._

"Ha_ha_!" Naruto laughed, his mouth still stuffed with the cookies Sakura gave him. If he hadn't been eating at the same time, his laughter would have continued on longer than it did. "Mikoto-san _must_ be angry with you two!"

"Be quiet," both Uchiha brothers said, although Sasuke added a "Dobe" at the end of his sentence.

"WHAT WAS THAT, TEME?"

_**They're **_**always**_** at it, aren't they?**_

Sakura agreed with her Inner, sighing at the sight. Finishing her little meal, she was about to stop the two's arguement before it started, but then…

"_Yo_!" A puff of smoke, and a very familiar hunter appeared.

"YOU'RE _LATE_!" everyone—yes, even the stoic Uchiha brothers—screamed. The birds in the nearby trees all flew away from the area, and that scream was sure to be heard even in Suna.

"Well…" Kakashi wasn't even _fazed_ by the decibels he was met with. "You see, I was on the path of life when—"

"_LIAR_!" This time, only Sakura screamed, unable to control her Inner.

"_Right_…" Kakashi almost sweatdropped. From the feral face the rosette had on—she looked downright scary, scarier than any vampire he had ever faced—he could tell why even the most prominent of clans chose to please her rather than anger her. "Anyway, like I said yesterday, we're going to do a little survival training today."

"Yes, yes. And of the twenty-seven graduates, only nine will be chosen as Hunters. The rest will be sent back to the academy, and the training is a super difficult exam with a failure rate of sixty-six percent, etc. etc." Itachi said, a bit bored. He had heard this more than enough times. "Did I _miss_ anything, Kakashi? Oh, Kakashi, what's with the face?"

_I wanted to say that…_ But the silver-haired man composed himself then, clearing his throat. "Before we start, how much of our history do you brats know? Let's start with Miss In-Need-of-Anger-Management."

"What . . . DID YOU CALL _ME_?" Sakura would have listened to her Inner and mauled him, regardless if he was her teacher or not, but her attempt at murder failed when the two Uchiha brothers and Naruto held her back, all three of them telling her, "He's not worth it! He's not worth it!"

_Sheesh… She really _does_ need anger management… I better run that by Mikoto. It could be a side effect of her mother's spell-casting._ He cleared his throat. "I apologize, Sakura, but please. Let us get on with the lesson, okay?"

The girl huffed, crossing her arms, once her teammates released her. "_Fine_…"

_**Hmp,**_ Sakura could imagine her Inner crossing her arms as well. _**The creep doesn't know how lucky he is…**_

"Vampires have existed for well over a few thousand of years. The original vampires appeared when mankind's civilizations began to crumble," she said, reciting it from her memory of the textbook from the academy. She had enjoyed that class, getting the top marks, and so no one was surprised when she gave a word-for-word answer. "At one point, there was a war with the humans, during which Purebloods began turning humans into vampires. When the number of vampires increased, the Kuruizaki family became royals, and a monarchy was established to rule the vampire race. But two generations ago, the king and head of the Kuruizaki family abolished the monarchy to avoid authoritarianism. The Senate, made of high-ranking Aristocrats, was then established to govern the vampire realm. The Kuruizaki clan continues to be the highest standing family, and it is known that there are families who would support the clan if their heir chose to take back the throne." She shrugged then. "But of course," she added, "the heirs of the Kuruizaki clan have been at each others' heads for a long while now, and there are rumors that they've turned against each other since their parents' deaths. If one of them chose to take back the throne then they would have more than the Senate and the Hunters to deal with."

Kakashi clapped. "Very good, Sakura, nicely said. I expected nothing less from one of Iruka's top students. Now,"—his eyes shifted between Sakura's two teammates, deciding which of them would be his next victim—"Sasuke… Tell us about the different classes of vampires, if you'd please."

The younger Uchiha brother sighed. He saw no point in this little review session, but nevertheless he did as the Class Three Hunter asked. "There exists 5 levels of vampires that are based on the purity of vampire blood, depending on how diluted their heritage is by human blood. Level A only includes Purebloods—the rarest, most elite, and most powerful class, whose blood lines have never mixed with humans. Purebloods are also the only class that can turn a human into a vampire. Level B are known as 'Nobles' or 'Aristocrats.' These are also very powerful vampires but not as mighty as Purebloods because they have a small amount of human blood in their ancestry. Levels C, D, and E includes humans who have been turned by a pureblood rather than being born as vampires. These ex-humans will eventually go mad with blood lust and become a 'Level E' if they are not stabilized by drinking the blood of the one who originally bit them in the first place. Stabilized ex-humans are known as 'Level C' or 'regular vampires,' and humans that have been bitten but have not gone mad are 'Level D.' "

Sakura stared at him in shock. _God, that was the most I've ever heard him speak!_

Kakashi, remaining oblivious of the girl's astonishment, just nodded his head in approval. "Good, and now on to the last one. Naruto!"

The blonde mentally cursed. He had hoped his teacher had forgotten about him. He really didn't want to answer these long essay questions. He didn't like these questions either. He had _stunk_ in history class.

"Please explain to us the history behind Konoha's Hunters."

Again, Naruto cursed, wishing he had paid more attention in class. "Well . . . there's… There's… _Anoo_ . . . Konoha Hunters are awesome people who fight vampires?" Everyone just stared at him as he laughed nervously, scratching his head. "I . . . think?"

"_Tch_, of course, _that_ was the best explanation you could give since you slept through most of history class, Dobe," Sasuke sneered.

Before the two rivals got into another fight, Itachi took over. "Naruto, listen carefully, okay? Hunters are born, not made. They are gifted humans, whose powers are passed on through to the next generations. There are many different kinds of Hunters. For example, those of Suna are demon slayers, Slayers for short, and those of Kiri are Bounty Hunters. Konoha, though, is specialized in the area of vampires. It is believed that the original vampire hunters ate a Pureblood vampire to gain their powers."

"_Ew_…" Naruto made a face. "That's disgusting."

Sakura blinked a few couple of times, making sure she hadn't mistaken. She . . . _hadn't_ mistaken, right? "Naruto… Is this your _first_ time hearing all of this?" she asked in awe. She was sure Iruka had spent a whole _week_ on the subject. Did Naruto really sleep through _all_ of that? When the blonde just laughed wryly, she got all the confirmation she needed.

_**Hopeless…**_

"Continuing on, though the consuming of a vampire may be a myth like the legend of the Suna Slayers consuming a demon, Konoha Hunters do have powers that have been attributed to vampires," Itachi explained. "Hunters have the power to sense vampires, Hunters also have the ability of somewhat accelerated healing, and some Hunters do have powers. Take for example, my clan. The Uchiha have the power over illusions. Another example would be the Yamanaka clan who have the power to control minds. But of course, Hunters don't have to be from a well-known clan to have powers." He added in that last part when he saw Sakura and Naruto's heads fall. He didn't want them to think of themselves as _average_ compared to him and Sasuke. "Vampire hunters see it as their duty to kill rogue and dangerous vampires and consider themselves a type of policing force of vampires and do not appreciate vampires interfering. With the newer generation, some hunters have started to see vampire hunting as more of a sport."

"That's _terrible_," Sakura had found herself saying that before she even had a chance to think. "How can anyone justify killing living creatures?"

"But . . . Sakura-chan, they're _vampires_," Naruto pointed out.

"It doesn't matter!" She wondered where these strong feelings came from. "Not _all_ vampires are bad!" Mikoto had taught her that, yes… "There has to be _some_ who are innocent and good at heart!" But she had always felt horrible whenever someone spoke badly about vampires as a whole. She wondered why that was.

Kakashi smiled at her. "Yes, you are right. Not _all_ vampires are bad. In fact, the Level E vampires that we hunt are only driven by an uncontrollable blood lust. Not all of them want to kill, but they cannot control themselves, and so that is where we come in. We save lives and help those vampires find a kind of redemption once we kill them and stop them from adding to their sins."

"So . . . Hunters are like some kind of _heroes_?" Naruto asked, his eyes sparkling in admiration. "That's so _cool_!"

"Hn, of course, you'd think like that, Dobe."

"What did you _say_, Teme?"

"Oh, and let me add something," Kakashi suddenly said as if he had just remembered something. "The academy doesn't teach you this since it's really not one of the basics, and it's something that has only started happening recently, but underneath the class of Purebloods is a sub-category of vampires called False True-Bloods."

"False . . . True-Bloods?" Sakura asked. She had never heard of such creatures before. She doubted whether or not Kakashi was telling them the truth.

"Yes," Kakashi answered with a firm nod. He seemed to notice the girl's skepticism. "Keep in mind, I'm not making this up or am I trying to scare you. False True-Bloods _do_ exist. In fact, False True-Bloods are ex-Hunters."

"But wouldn't they just fall under the Levels C, D, or E?" Sasuke questioned.

"Yes…" The reply came out slow and slurred, almost as if it were really a maybe. "But remember, Hunters have powers that were given to them because they had devoured one of those they now hunt. As such, within them flows the blood of a Pureblood vampire. Because the discovery of False True-Bloods has only happened within the last few years or so, the theory of how they are created is debated and is very recent, but it goes something like this: if a hunter were turned into a vampire then the vampire blood already within them would fully take over and thus it would rid the Hunter of their human blood. With only vampire blood left within them, the ex-Hunter becomes, in essence, a Pureblood. However, because these ex-Hunter vampires aren't as strong or as powerful as natural-born Purebloods, we classify them as False True-Bloods."

"Wait, I don't get it…" Naruto said, confusion written all over his face. With all the information he was taking in, his teammates were surprised his brain hadn't exploded yet. Sakura seemed to be checking to make sure there was no smoke coming out of his ears. "How come these . . . False True-Bloods were only discovered just a few years ago if vampires have been around as long as humans have?"

Kakashi let out a sigh. "Well, remember when I said that False True-Bloods were only a _sub_-category of Purebloods?" He continued once Naruto nodded his head. "False True-Bloods are a sub-category because they are very similar to Purebloods. And as of now, besides in terms of power and creation, there is only _one_ main known difference between Purebloods and False True-Bloods."

"And that would _be_…?" Sakura inquired.

"False True-Bloods have the option of whether or not they want to turn their victims into a vampire," Itachi answered in Kakashi's stead.

"_WHAT_?" Naruto almost screamed while Sakura's eyes just widened and Sasuke just rose an eyebrow. This was indeed new information for all of them. "Then . . . what about those that a False True-Blood converts?" Naruto asked. "Are they _also_ False True-Bloods?"

Itachi shrugged. "It depends…"

"_Depends_?" Sakura repeated, both eyebrows were raised now, giving her a total look of confusion.

"On _what_ exactly?" Sasuke asked right after his fiancée had spoken.

"On whether or not the False True-Blood _wants_ their victim to become one," Itachi told them this as if it was the most dramatic and dicey piece of information ever. Sasuke swore there was some kind of evil music playing in the background when his brother gave his answer.

"Well, anyway," Kakashi said, stuffing his hands into his pants pockets, "Since I know where you all stand knowledge-wise, let me explain the survival exercise, hm?"

"_Finally_!" Naruto laughed, throwing his arms behind his head. "Some _physical_ exercise! And here I was starting to think you were just some boring old man!"

"Heh, I'll ignore that. For _now_…"

"You don't scare _me_!"

"We'll see…" Kakashi said in such a casual way that almost made it seem singsong. And from one of his pockets, he took out two little bells. "This is your task: take these two bells from me before noon." While he said this, Itachi took out a little alarm clock and set it down on a nearby tree stump.

"Heh, easy as _pie_!" Naruto grinned.

"No, it won't be," Kakashi argued. He wondered how long it would take before he had Naruto sweating bullets. "During this, Itachi will place us under an illusion. It'll be a minor one, but it will stimulate a real vampire attack. You three shall be the Hunters, and _I_ will be the Level E vampire. And of course, I will _not_ go easy on any of you. You must get the bells even if it means _killing_ me. Keep in mind, you won't be able to succeed unless you actually do come at me _with_ killing intentions."

**_Just great… Look at what the little imp did! He _jinxed_ us!_**

But Sakura continued to ignore her Inner as Kakashi carried on with giving out the instructions. "In this illusion, reality will not be wrapped—the only difference will be me being the vampire," the Class Three Hunter explained. "You will be able to do anything you could in real life, and so on."

_**Great… So what's the catch?**_

"The catch is: those who cannot get a bell by noon get no lunch," Kakashi answered the girl's question.

Sakura mentally cursed her Inner. Had she said that _aloud_?

"I'll not only tie you to one of those stumps over there," he said, gesturing to the group of stumps where the alarm clock stood on. "But I'll eat right in front of you too."

_So that's why he told us not to eat…_ Sasuke thought while his two teammates thanked his mother over and over again.

"_Ha_!" Naruto laughed. "This really will be a piece of cake! You're so slow you can't even dodge a blackboard easer! We'll kill you in the first few _minutes_!"

Kakashi swore his eye was twitching, his hand reaching for his weapon of choice. _Calm down…_ he told himself and took a deep breath. "In the real world, those with no talent often bark the loudest," he decided to taunt Naruto instead. "Ignore Mr. Dead-Last and start when I say—"

But the Kyuubi-container, infuriated by his teacher's words, took out his anti-vampire knife and charged at the Class-Three Hunter. However, just as he was about to strike, Kakashi disappeared from in front of him and appeared behind him, twisting the arm that held the knife until the knife was almost touching the back of Naruto's neck. Kakashi's other hand laid on Naruto's head, holding the boy in place.

"Slow down," the mask-wearing Hunter drawled, almost as if that had been the _most pathetic_ attempt on his life. It was safe to say that it _was_ pathetic, but it wasn't the _worst_ he had seen. "I haven't even said start yet."

_So fast…_ Sakura thought, her eyes barely even catching Kakashi's movements. _As a vampire, he'll be even faster during the training…_

"Well, it seems like you're prepared to come with me with the intent to kill." The silver-haired man released Naruto then. His smile almost went unnoticed since his mask covered it. "Heh, seems like I'm beginning to like you guys." He turned to Itachi who gave him a nod. "Alright…" His attention was back on his three students. "Let's get going then. Start!"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Sakura ran, the wind whipping her hair all around her. She was starting to regret growing out her hair. It was nothing but a hindrance, horrible when it came to running around. She came to an abrupt halt in a small clearing. It wasn't "dangerous" for her. She knew Kakashi was dealing with Naruto. Actually, with the way things had gone, Naruto might have been out of action for a while since Kakashi had tied him to a tree. The "vampire" was most likely dealing with Sasuke right now. Knowing her fiancé, she figured it would take Kakashi a while before he got to her. She took this time to push back her headband and tighten it around her hair, using it now as a hair band.

_Okay, now I can focus…_ She surveyed her surroundings, taking in every detail. If she stayed out in the opening, Kakashi would find her. However, if she went into hiding, Kakashi would _still_ find her. The only difference was that it'd take longer if she was hiding. She looked to the surrounding trees. _I better make some traps…_

"Don't even try it."

She gasped and did a back-flip, landing across the clearing. "What? _How_…?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Your two teammates just weren't as good as you think they were," he stated, his tongue licking his fangs clean. He seemed to enjoy being a vampire. "Now . . . what should I do with _you_?"

Sakura kept her eyes peeled, her green orbs focused on the illusionary vampire and her hand on the holster of her anti-vampire weapons. She would be ready if he chose to attack her.

But even after a few moments, nothing transpired between the two. Kakashi just smiled. "You're different from the boys. You don't attack. Instead, you wait and watch. _Good_… Observing your opponents is a smart strategy," he commented, his head bobbing up and down. "But that technique could very well be your downfall if you're not careful!" And he lunged at her.

_**Move!**_

But Sakura was unable to budge, frozen to her spot, frozen with fear and shock.

_**What are you doing? **_**Move**_**!**_

She was stunned. She hadn't expected him to be so quick. She hadn't even expected him to look so frightening. She had never been more afraid in her whole life.

**MOVE_!_**

Sakura closed her eyes, waiting for the pain. But once Kakashi was within a foot radius of her, he hit something. He couldn't get any closer. There was a blinding light, he was being pushed back, and it was then that Sakura's migraine chose to burden her once again. She clutched her head, closing her eyes. She heard someone yell out her name then—was she hallucinating or was that a _woman's_ voice?—and something collided with her, pulling her out of Kakashi's line of attack. And suddenly, that blinding light was gone.

_Damn! That was too close for comfort!_ Kakashi rubbed his jaw. _I didn't expect that to have happened._ He decided to retreat then. _I'll leave those two lovebirds alone for now…_

And when the rosette opened her eyes, her migraine gone, she looked around for the source of the scream, unaware that Kakashi had left and that someone was holding her tight against him.

"You're an _idiot_!" Sasuke barked at her, taking her by the shoulders and forcing her to look at him. "Why didn't you move or take out a weapon?"

"I…" What had just happened? "What… I…" She couldn't remember much of it. She only remembered being scared, a blinding light, and that scream… "I heard a lady scream."

"_What_?" He looked at if she had gone crazy. Had she hit her head on something? Did she need to go to the hospital and get some kind of treatment? His mother would _kill_ him if that were the case.

"She screamed my name," she described numbly. Had Sasuke really not heard it? "She called me her baby and told someone to give me back. She sounded scared and angry all at the same time… She was crying, I think…"

Sasuke was sure she had hit her head now. He decided, to avoid his mother's scolding, he'd blame Itachi for it. "Can you walk?"

"_Huh_…?"

"Can you walk?" he repeated, watching her closely.

"I…" She couldn't find any words to say, not under his sharp gaze. He always looked at her like that after a migraine, always making sure she wouldn't faint, making sure it wouldn't be as bad as that one time years ago. Still, incapable of speaking, Sakura just nodded her head. And for show, she stood up. "_See_?" She found her voice again once Sasuke also stood from the ground. "I'm _fine_!" She didn't mean to snap.

But Sasuke continued to watch her. She could feel her cheeks turning hot. She looked away from him, trying to hide her blush. Why did he have to look so intensively at her anyway? She wasn't in danger of dying or anything…

"_Oh_?" Something had caught her attention. "Has that tree _always_ been a cherry blossom tree? I could have sworn that all the trees in this forest were either evergreen or—"

"Remember, this is Itachi's illusion," her fiancé reminded her, interrupting her in midsentence. She was definitely alright if she was criticizing the scenery. "Though he's not allowed to wrap reality, he can still change a bit of the surroundings as he pleases."

"Oh… Right…"

"Come on," he urged her to follow him. It was better to keep her close especially since she was still in a half daze-like trance. "We better get going. Time's almost up."

"Wait, Sasuke-kun." She grabbed his arm. "I have an idea."

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"_Hm_…" Kakashi looked up at the sky. The illusion was still up, but he knew there wasn't much time left. "It's kind of quiet…" He had been able to finish a few chapters of his book in these last few minutes. "Just where _are_ those three brats?"

"Looking for _me_?"

He looked up from his little orange novel. "So it's _you_, huh?" he observed. "Come for a last fight before being sent back to the academy?"

"_Ha_! You _wish_!" Naruto boomed, charging straight for his sensei. "I'm _never_ being sent back there!" Was it him or did Naruto seem to be even _more_ optimistic than before?

Kakashi dodged his multi-punches, his book still in his hand. "You know, you're just wasting your energy!" He grabbed Naruto's fist and, with his book, whacked the boy on his head, only to have a cloud of smoke appear in the boy's place. "_What_?" _A shadow clone…?_

"Behind you!"

Again, Kakashi dodged. This time, Naruto had come from behind and tried to kick him, but Kakashi grabbed his leg and again hit him with his book. The same thing happened, and smoke replaced Naruto. Kakashi was beginning to get sick of this trick.

"_Got ya_!"

However, Kakashi grabbed Naruto before he was able to reach the two bells. "Heh, so you can make shadow clones, _huh_?" the booking-holding Hunter/illusionary vampire mused. "That's actually very good. Not many Hunters can do that. I applaud you for the attempt. Too bad you still fail."

But the blonde only grinned. "What attempt?" he asked, smiling a Cheshire Cat smile. He even laughed a bit. Kakashi almost thought the boy had lost his mind before he told him, "This was only the _distraction_!"

"_What_?"

"_NOW_, GUYS!" And this Naruto also disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Sakura jumped out of her hiding spot, pulling on a large rope. It triggered four nets, one on each side. Kakashi had nowhere to escape. "Sasuke! Naruto!" And the two boys jumped into the clearing, alternating between punches and kicks. Kakashi was forced to put away his book because there were some attacks he couldn't dodge, and so he had to block them. In fact, some of the blows had him backing up. The boys were really giving it their all. And while that went on, Sakura had slipped under one of the nets and sneaked behind the unsuspecting "vampire" . . . or so she thought. Once she reached for the bells, Kakashi had done a back-flip, jumping over his only female student. She cursed under her breath and tried to pull the nets over to where he'd land but, as soon as he was out of the air, he kicked her forward and at her teammates. She landed right on top of Naruto and Sasuke, the nets falling over them.

"Ah, so close…" Kakashi said. In the background, there was a ringing sound. "But not close enough. The test is over."

The only indicator of the illusion being lifted was when Itachi appeared sitting nearby on the ground, looking very tired. He smiled a smile that screamed out "_Finally_" once he noticed the four had stopped fighting. But they didn't pay attention to him. Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto only watched Kakashi, waiting for his lecture of how they badly they did. But what they got was…

"You guys . . . _pass_!" He even gave them a thumbs-up.

"_Wha_…?" The three could not believe their ears. This had to be a trick of some sort. They waited for the punch line, but none came.

Itachi was the one who explained. "The whole point of this exercise was to see if you guys would work together. Teamwork, that is what this was all about."

"But . . . . there were only two bells." Sakura pointed out as Sasuke and Naruto helped her up. She cursed Kakashi for kicking her so hard. Her Inner made a note to get back at him later. "One of us would have failed even if we _did_ get the bells."

"The purpose of this whole test was to see whether you could forget about your own interests and successfully work together," Itachi replied. "Individual play that disrupts the team can put your comrades in danger or even get you killed."

"But what about the _rules_?" Naruto was the one to asked this (which surprised everyone there since he was the one always breaking the rules).

"Those who break the rules and codes are called scum…" Kakashi cautioned, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He was careful not to give the boy any excuses for breaking any rules. "But you know _what_? Those who leave and betray their comrades are worse than scum."

_**Hmp! So it's that whole loophole thing… And here I was ****worried**** you **_**wouldn't**_** pass… Congratulations.**_

Naturally, Sakura thanked her Inner. If memory was correct, that was probably one of the first times her Inner was actually saying something nice to her.

"And so that ends the survival training," Itachi concluded. "Starting tomorrow, Team 7 will begin its duties, so you guys better get some rest. We've got a long day ahead of us."

_He took my lines _again_!_ Kakashi thought, getting fed up with the older Uchiha's antics.

"Oh, what is it, Kakashi?" Itachi asked, noticing the man's grim expression as he watched the three graduates leave the training field. Naruto's loud cheers of "Yay" and "Hooray" were almost deafening. It was a surprise that Kakashi could hear him over the blonde's "Let's go to Ichiraku's to celebrate" and his "_Aw_! Do you _have_ to go work today, Sakura-chan?"

"I don't know if it's anything we have to worry about, but I feel I should tell you this." Kakashi's gaze shifted to the pinkette who was running off in the other direction of her teammates, probably to her job at the Yamanaka flower shop. "During the survival training, I think Sakura remembered her mother."

Itachi, usually unfazed by much, was taken aback by this bit of news. "Did she _really_?"

Kakashi nodded. "It was only for a little while, but I'm certain she did. She said she heard a lady scream at someone to give her back her baby," he reported, recalling the girl's exact words. "She told Sasuke this, and it was by chance that I heard it."

"Well, Sakura usually has painful migraines. Perhaps she was _hallucinating_?"

"She could have been, but here's the strange thing. She heard that scream when Yuri's protection spell activated."

Itachi's eyes were large.

"It happened when I was testing her. I attacked her, and a barrier blocked me from reaching her. I'm not sure if it was Yuri's powers or if it was Sakura's, but it was a very strong aura, and it protected and shrouded her completely. What do you make of it?"

The Uchiha thought about it for a moment. It was very possible that Yuri's spell was beginning to weaken. The spell was, after all, more than a decade old. Sakura's powers might already have started to awaken especially since she was starting to remember a bit about her mother. There was a very good chance of that happening. However, the scream was very likely to be a hallucination, given the fact that it happened during one of Sakura's migraines. That was also a very likely possibility. Itachi wasn't sure what to think about it.

"I think I should tell my father," he told Kakashi. "He'd know more about this than me. In the meantime, we need to find out what's causing her migraines and if her powers are awakening or not. If the spell is indeed breaking then we need to be prepared."

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Things were really fast at the shop today. I think it was because of the new shipment of flowers. Everyone wanted some. I was worried I wouldn't be able to get them to bloom on time. You know . . . Ino and Hinata's teams passed their tests too," Sakura told her fiancé on the way home from the flower shop, knowing that last bit of info would get him more interested in the conversation than her day at work. She always shared the latest of news with him, even though most of the time it was all just gossip. "Isn't that great? All of us are part of the Rookie 9."

Sasuke didn't say anything on the subject. He was glad that the girl's best friends weren't being sent back to the academy because now, at the very least, he knew he wouldn't be the only one who could watch Sakura on any of their missions. He didn't fully trust in the two girls' abilities and doubted whether they could protect Sakura, but he wouldn't have to worry as much if he were separated from her on any assignment. But first things first, he needed to address something.

"Sakura."

"I mean, I was really worried that they would fail, but they really proved me wrong. They actually did pretty well, but they didn't get the bells either."

"Sakura."

"I had thought Ino's team might have passed since Shikamaru and Choji are her father's friends' children, and she's on good terms with them. But Hinata, _too_? I had thought her team was really weird. Kiba and Shino and her. I never would have thought—"

"Sakura, you need to take care of yourself better."

"_Excuse me_?" She stopped in her tracks and turned around to glare at him, her hands on her hips. "What did you _say_?" She was insulted. That might have been an understatement, considering how enraged she was. "I'll have you know I can take care of myself just _fine_!"

"Well, that wasn't the case when Kakashi attacked you." Unlike her, Sasuke didn't raise his voice.

"That…" Sakura bit her lip, looking away from him. She couldn't find a good comeback.

"You were scared, and you froze. Sakura, if that had been a _real_ vampire, you would be _dead_! I don't want to see that!"

Sakura didn't know what to say. Whether or not he had wanted to, Sasuke had just admitted in some Uchiha-ish way that he had been _worried_ about her. She had worried him, scared him almost to some point of death. "I'm . . . sorry." What else was she to say? "I should have known better." He had been _worried_ about her. He had worried _because_ of her. She was grateful for at lest that much. "It won't happen again." And with that, she continued the walk back home.

Sasuke only watched as she strolled into the Uchiha district, greeting his relatives as she went by. He sighed. In the words of the laziest genius ever, somehow Sasuke knew his coming days would be more troublesome than ever.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"What do you think, Otousan?" Itachi asked, waiting for his father's answer. After telling Fugaku everything he and Kakashi were suspicious about, his father still remained silent in thought. "Is it something that we should be worried about?"

"I honestly don't know," Fugaku said. "Like you suggested, that scream could just be one of Sakura's hallucinations. She usually has those with her migraines. Plus, she believed she was in danger. That was all that was needed to activate the barrier. It's not much to worry about."

"But, Father, she was able to wrap my illusion."

"_What_?" At this, an eyebrow rose. "What do you mean?"

"Right after that barrier disappeared, one of the trees in the setting changed into a cherry blossom tree," Itachi explained, remembering his surprise all too well. He hadn't been focusing much on the scenery, but his illusion had been somewhat powerful. Nothing and no one should have been able to alter it. "Could it be a sign that her powers are awakening?"

". . . I'm not sure. I'll do some research on it but, for now, act like it's nothing, and _don't_ tell your mother just yet," Fugaku warned. "You know how she is. She's a worrywart. If she finds out about this, she might jump into hysterics. We need to be very sure about this if we tell her."

Itachi nodded, agreeing with his father. His mother had been waiting all of Sakura's life for the girl to remember _something_ about her parents. If they were to tell Mikoto about this little event and that scream only turned out to be a delusion, she'd be horribly disappointed. And _that_, nobody wanted.

The door opened at that moment. "We're home!"

"Ah, Sakura," Itachi greeted. He didn't greet his brother. He had only been out for just a little bit to fetch the girl back from work as always. "How was your day?"

"Busy but fun," was Sakura's answer as she set her little messenger back on the floor. She took this time to greet Fugaku who nodded once. "Where's Mikoto-san?" she asked after the formalities were done, Sasuke closing the door behind them. "I need to thank her for the snacks she made Naruto and me."

"I'm making dinner, dear! And the snacks were just a _little_ something! No need to thank me!" the woman said from the kitchen. Her super-hearing could even surprise her husband at times. "Oh, and Sakura, if I told you _once_, I told you a _hundred_ times! Call me Mikoto-_mama_! And you don't have to be so formal to the boys' father either! Just call him Fugaku-_papa_!"

"Hai, _hai_!" She turned back to the Uchiha patriarch. "I'll go help her."

"Alright, but you should just listen to her lest she continues to pester you about being so proper with us," Fugaku seconded his wife's thought. Sakura had lived with them for so long already. There was no need to be so formal.

"I know," Sakura said apologetically. "I just can't get used to the concept, you know? It'll be so strange."

"It's not strange," Itachi jested. "My brother and I call them mother and father _all the time_! Besides, once you marry Sasuke, you'll have to call them that anyway."

"I _guess_…" Sakura shrugged, pouting a bit. "But I'm not married _yet_!" She laughed before leaving the room.

Sasuke, too, was about to go wash up when his father stopped him. "Wait, Sasuke, I need to talk to you about something," he had said before telling Itachi to run off.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked once his brother was out of the room. He sat across from his father.

"From here on out, you will be placed in countless of dangerous situations," his father lectured him, his arms crossed. "You will need to protect your teammates as they will do for each other and you." Sasuke wondered where he was going with this. "However, you have another role to play. I do not know how much you care for Sakura—in fact, it doesn't matter if you _don't_."

The younger of the Uchiha brothers felt almost _offended_ that his father thought that way.

"But you must protect her because she is your betrothed and because you are her fiancé. Regardless of the mission and regardless of the circumstances, only _she_ can be and will be your number one propriety."

Sasuke _really_ felt offended now. Even if his father hadn't given him that little speech, he still would have done just that. He would protect the girl who was now helping his mother in the kitchen, not just because she was her fiancée but also because she was Sakura. He swore he'd make sure nothing happened to her, no matter the cost.

* * *

**Whew! And done! This is really my longest chapter of all my chapters of any of my fanfics! With _seven-thousand_ words! It took me a long while to make this! I hope I didn't make any of you wait too long! Sorry if I did! But I had a lot of things to do! And I also had to think about the vampire history and stuff like that. I finally settled for the _Vampire Knight_ thing, except I tweaked it a bit.**

**Oh, and I will ask again: _would any of you care if I made Haku a girl?_**

**Also, I ask that, if you have time, to please read my other fanfics. I think you'd all enjoy _The People Who Love Her And The People She Loves_. It's a nice Sakura-centric fiveshot. Please enjoy.**

**Thank you and please review!**


	6. Interlude: The One Who Protects Dreams

This man who has killed hundreds, this man who has killed all those in his graduating class, this man is not anymore a man but a demon. And yet . . . this is the man whom I choose to follow, whom I choose to protect. I want to help him fulfill his dreams. This is my wish, _my_ dream, for he was the one who saved me from the pain of merely being alive.

From the beginning, my gift was a curse. "It's unwanted, it's evil, it must be destroyed!" The more I heard those words, the harder it became to smile—and to live. Those who surrounded me with love slowly disappeared. I almost thought all those happy times were just a dream. There was nothing left of them, almost as if they didn't exist in the first place. It was what hurt me the most, the fact that I may not have been loved at all… The days dragged into months and soon a year… It always snowed pure white snow… It always did, but it hailed inside of my heart… My heart always thundered, always rained icy droplets of cold water. I had yet to see a sunshine break through the clouds that had engulfed me… I was even fighting with strays for the tiniest bits of food. In those circumstances, how could anyone be happy? I found it hard to believe that anyone could suffer any more than I did in that pitiful state.

Then, one day, _he_ came… And for _once_, my days weren't so cold anymore.

He took me with him, took me in, and we traveled. We went to many places, many new places—some far away and some fairly close by. And his reputation, the one that followed him, did not faze me in the least. _Why_? I only needed to ask that once, for the answer was sincerely truthful. It was because he _saved_ me in so many possible ways… He saved me in the ways that a person _can_ be saved… So no matter how many times he has sinned, I don't care. He is my savior, so I must repay him in every way possible and in every way that I can…

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

He often speaks of the mistress he had once served. "She's gone from this world now," I remember him telling me this once. And yet, as he spoke of her—he always speaks very fondly of her—it would seem as though the events happened only the day before. He has that look on his face as he looks back, and it sometimes makes me wonder of the relationship that they had before she died. I often, almost _always_, find myself asking him how she passed away and of the circumstances surrounding her death, but he never answers me. He only scowls and has that angry look on his face. His fists always shake, and he curses some man, and even sometimes a girl's name is brought up. I wonder of their part in my mistress's death—yes, _my_ mistress because those he serves I also serve.

And as we travel, he begins to tell me about himself, and I am happy. He also tells me of a daughter our mistress had right before her death. He tells me that it is she who gives him reason to live, for he shall always be loyal to the family that had housed him. I also give myself to his cause, for if it had not been for that family then I would not have been able to meet him and I would not have been saved.

And so our days continued like that, forever searching for the mistress's daughter. Though he does not even have the slightest idea of her possible whereabouts or even if she is still alive, I follow him. I follow him because, though he's killed hundreds, though he is a demon, he is the one who has saved me from the pain of just merely living—of just merely being alive. I follow him because he is the one who has the same eyes as me. For that, I shall kill my own heart if I have to and protect his dreams, for that is my dream too…

* * *

**Okay, right now, I'm still debating whether or not I want to make Haku a girl or a boy. If he's a girl then, because of what I'll be doing with him/her, there will possibly be some ItaHaku scenes coming up and if he's a boy then there will probably be some HakuSaku scenes too. I still haven't really decided yet what I'll do. But Haku in civilian form really does resemble Mikoto somewhat.**

**Also, all of my interludes in this story will probably be in first person. But there might be some characters whom I would not be able to put into first person. For example, Sasuke. I do not think I would be able to . . . first-person him well. And so . . . try and guess which character is speaking in this interlude! It should be a bit obvious!**

**Also, I give applaud to whoever can find that quote I used from the movie _Titanic_!**

**And one more thing, I am _so _sorry I haven't updated in a long time! School started, and everything fell out of place! I couldn't even touch my fanfic! I was just so busy! I can't promise the next update to be quick, but I do have the outline of the chapter ready! So please be patient! Thank you!**

**P.S. I also changed the name of this story from "Two Beats" to "Two Hearts." Just so you know.**


	7. Part One, Chapter Five: The First Perils

"Now, Team 7," the Hokage said after the Fire Lord's wife had left with her cat whom seemed ready to run away again as the woman continued to squeeze the life out of it. He ignored the loud displeasing meows and screeches that came from Tora, no matter how deafening and desperate they were. Sometimes, he felt really bad for that cat. Tora probably had run away for more than two hundred times already. Perhaps the village should stop taking that mission, but then again that mission was really easy money especially because it happened over and over and over again. He really was at a lost as to what to do with that cat. "Your next duties are babysitting, helping with the harvest, and shopping in the—"

"No, No, and _No_ _Thank You_!" Naruto almost screamed. All those missions were boring and tedious, horribly long and horribly dreary. And after that last mission, he had had enough of these stupid "missions" of theirs. If it wasn't helping find runaway pets or doing community service then it was helping the academy watch its students. How much more _boring_ can it get? "I refuse to do _any_ of those! I want to do, you know, a more _incredible_ mission! Find us a better one!" If it had not been the Hokage, Naruto might have acted a lot whinier.

And his teammates couldn't help but agree. After all, it must have been the third time this _week_ that they had to look for the Fire Lady's cat, Tora. If they had to continue doing so, they'd probably be doing the same easy mission for more than twenty times by the end of the month! And that, they couldn't have especially since Tora seemed to like its short-lived freedom so much.

_I thought it was about time…_ Kakashi thought, shaking his head, but he was smiling on the inside. He and his student teacher had made a small bet on when Naruto would lose his patience, and Kakashi never thought such a bother could bring him such joy. _Heh, Itachi owes me…_

"You _idiot_!" Iruka scolded his former student, standing from his seat. How could Naruto disrespect the Hokage like that? It would seem to him that the blonde had gotten even more insolent ever since he left the academy. Exactly how could Naruto even think to embarrass his teachers like this? "Everyone starts off with simple duties and work their way up!"

The Hokage could only tip his hat and sigh, watching the scene before him. In reality, he had actually taken the boy's words into consideration and was going to allow his team a different mission, but what Iruka had said was also true. Level One Hunters always started out small. He could not go easy on this team just because Naruto could not handle the boredom.

"But we end up with the _crappiest_ of missions!" Naruto countered. This got him a reprimand from Kakashi instead who told him to just be quiet which only made Naruto even louder.

"And need I remind you that you had actually _failed_ one of them?" Iruka retorted. And failed they had. And it was such an easy mission that even toddlers could pass!

"Hey, we _did_ find the cat!" Sakura decided then to join in this conversation. She really didn't want to since she didn't want to stay in the room any longer, but she did not like it when someone belittled her team. Besides, they had to get the facts straight. "Didn't we, guys?" she went to Naruto and Sasuke for backup, to which they nodded.

Their former teacher just hung his head and let out an exasperated sighed. "Yes, Sakura, you guys _did_ find Tora. But that cat hasn't been the same since you brought it back and, from what I hear, it practically has a panic attack every time it spots any one of you."

"Oh, well… We wouldn't know anything about _that_…" Sakura innocently said when, in fact, she was mentally high-fiving her Inner.

_**That cat got what it deserved…**_

_No kidding… We did every genin a service._

"Well, if you don't want that cat dying the next time it sees one of us," Naruto tried again, "why don't you just give us a better mission?"

Iruka was ready to scream his head off. When would Naruto learn he could not always get what he wanted?

It was then that the Hokage decided that it was time for him to intervene. "Naruto, it seems I have to explain to you what your duties are. Again." he started, taking his pipe out of his mouth. He had already had a speech prepared because there was always one knucklehead in each team that would act just the way Naruto was acting. But with Naruto's team, he had to come up with different variations of his speech because he had given it to them at least five times already. "Listen, every day, the village receives numerous requests from babysitting to hunting to assassinations. Each request is written down in these scrolls"—he gestured to the documents on his desk—"and divided into an A, B, C, or D ranking, depending on difficulty. The village is also divided by skill, starting with the Hokage to the Level Three to Level Two and finally to the Level One Hunters. The missions are then handed out by us at the top to Hunters based on their abilities. And if the mission is completed successfully, we receive payment from the client. You guys recently became Hunters and thus became only Leveled One, and so D-ranked missions are perfect for you."

But apparently, as this information was being given out, Team 7 was busy making preparations for the night. And besides, it wasn't like they hadn't heard this before.

"So," Sakura said to her teammates, Kakashi included. Apparently, whatever she had to say was much more important than what the Hokage was preaching. "Mikoto-san wants to have a dinner with all of us tonight and—"

"_Hey_!" Old Man Hokage yelled. How _dare_ they disregard his words! He was _Hokage_, dammit! And he refused to be ignored. "Listen up!"

The team returned to their original places, Sakura hanging her head in apology. The only person to bicker was Naruto. "_Geez_! All you do is give lectures like that!" he complained, still sitting on the ground. "But you know _what_?" He stood then and yelled, "I'm not the same trouble-making brat you still _think_ I am!" And then he plopped himself back down, his back to the Hokage and his arms crossed. "I want a better mission!"

The betrothed couple could only think the same thing. _How childish…_

"Ok." The Hokage's answer surprised everyone in the room. Some of the instructors there thought the old man might have senile! Did they hear correctly? Did the Hokage actually give in? "If you want it that much, I'll give you a C-ranked mission." He smiled to himself, glad that Naruto had finally stopped using pranks as a way to express himself. The boy would never cease to surprise him. "It's a protection mission of a certain individual."

And soon, that "certain individual" came into the room, his face gruff and red from drinking. He was an elderly man, but his body was sturdy and built. He couldn't have been more than fifty years of age. "What's this?" the man asked, taking another swig of his bottle. He didn't seemed impress with his guards. "They're all just a bunch of super brats especially the short one with the stupid face."

Naruto, not knowing any better, only laughed at the man's accusation. "Haha! Who's the short one with the stupid face?" He looked from his teammates, trying to see which of them the shortest one was. He was only to be met with disappointment, Sakura giggling and Sasuke smirking at his ignorance. The blonde was ready to maul their client. "I'LL _KILL_ YOU!" He almost looked as mad as his pink-haired teammate did whenever her temper went off. Of course, he _almost_ looked that mad because if he really _did_ look that mad then their client would have been sent to the hospital with about all his ribs broken.

Sakura and Sasuke held their teammate back while Kakashi questioned him, "Now what's the point in killing the person who we're supposed to protect? Do you _want_ to fail?"

"I am the super bridge builder, Tazuna," their client introduced himself for once not chugging down his alcohol. "I expect you to provide me super protection until I get back to my country and complete the bridge."

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"So how have things been faring?" Mikoto asked the minute she sat down in her seat. She sincerely hoped her dinner was enough for all of them. She wouldn't know what she'd do if there wasn't enough for her little Sasu-chan's team. Perhaps she could order some ramen…

"_Wonderful_, Mikoto-san!" Naruto said, actually taking a pause from eating. But in the next second, he was back to stuffing his mouth again. "Hm-_mh_! Your cooking is as great as always! I could eat your cooking all my life and still love it so much!"

The Uchiha matriarch smiled at the compliment and told Naruto to eat more if he loves the food so much. She also added in that he should stop by more often to which the knucklehead scratched the back of his head and agreed once Mikoto bribed him with the offer of more delicious foods during each visit.

"We actually got assigned a C-ranked mission," Sakura said once she realized Sasuke's parents were waiting to hear more about how their team was progressing.

"A _C_-ranked?" Fugaku asked, an eyebrow rose. "So early?"

"All thanks to our whining blonde," Kakashi explained. And that was all he needed to say to answer the question, for the head of the Uchiha clan knew how persuading Naruto could be.

"And _so_?" Mikoto continued to pry deeper into the subject. "Where will you be heading to?" It was the same question she always asked her sons and Sakura. Her motherly instinct always took over whenever she heard the children had a mission. No one could blame her. She was just worried, and she just wanted to know exactly where they'll be to lessen her worry if only by a little.

"The Land of Waves." It was Sasuke who answered because Sakura didn't want to be the one to break the news to the lady.

Mikoto's hand went limp then, her chopsticks dropping onto the table. "So _far_?" Her voice was flooded with concern. Just the thought of her _youngest son_ for the first time leaving Konoha and being so many miles away… And the thought of _Sakura_ going out into the world for the first time as well… The emotions were overflowing.

"Daijōbu, Mikoto-san!" Sakura quickly added in, not wanting the Uchiha matriarch to faint. "Itachi-kun will also be joining us after his mission, so…" Her voice trailed off as she tried to figure something else to say to relieve Mikoto's fret. She couldn't come up if anything, and so she was grateful when Naruto chose to butt in.

"Yeah, you don't have to worry, Mikoto-san!" he seconded Sakura's statement, though he was oblivious to the woman's worry. "If your sons are in trouble, I'll swoop in and save the day! _Believe it_!"

"Hn," the Uchiha scoffed. "The only one who will be needing saving is _you_, Dobe."

"WHAT WAS _THAT_, TEME? YOU THINK I CAN'T BEAT YOU, _HUH_?" Naruto rolled up his sleeve. He would have looked intimidating if he didn't have a little shrimp hanging out of his mouth. "COME ON, THEN! WE'LL SEE WHO'S TOUGHER RIGHT NOW!"

"NOT AT THE DINNER TABLE!" Sakura yelled at Naruto while pulling her fiancé back into his seat. "OR I'LL BEAT YOU _BOTH_ UP!"

The two immediately shut up. They may have been hothead rivals but, when it came to their female teammate, they rather not take their chances especially since she carried out her threats.

In the end, they only succeeded in making the Uchiha matriarch laugh.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Uchiha Fugaku wasn't one to go to sleep early or late, but he was one to check all the doors, all the windows, all the little cracks, and every other opening at night to make sure there were no strangers or creeps hanging around. He had a wife and children to protect. He would be damned if he let some thief come and do as he liked. In fact, he had a few plans of how to dispose of any crook if he were to find one. And his plans involved boiling, stabbing, kicking, punching, throwing, burning, etc… Just the usual stuff.

Once he was done with his nightly stroll around the house and was sure that there was no threat, he made his way to his room. He wasn't tired but, when he saw that his wife was there, he sighed. It wasn't as if he was irritated by the fact. It was just that he knew his wife all too well. And so, he made a little bet with himself. If Mikoto was in Itachi's room then he'll check the house once again. It she was in Sasuke's room then he'd stay up all night, if he had to, to calm his fretting wife. But if she was in Sakura's room then he'd stay up all night, cook breakfast the next day, and spend the next two days at home. It was a good bet…

And so when he walked through the halls, he found that he would get two days off of work this week. He had been right. Mikoto was in Sakura's room, sitting on the girl's bed and stroking the girl's hand and combing through her pink hair.

"Mikoto…"

"Look at her, Fugaku…" His wife's voice was in a whisper, but he had a feeling that it wasn't that way just because she didn't want to disturb their son's sleeping fiancée. "She's almost grown up now… She'll probably start her period soon, and we'll probably have to stop by some stores to buy her some new bras… She's still growing in that area, too—"

The Uchiha patriarch felt the tip of his ears turn red. He didn't need to _hear_ that! He remembered specifically that they had agreed that he would handle the boys' stuff and _Mikoto_—and _just_ Mikoto and without any stories or rants unless in a dire situation—would take care of the girl's things.

"—And I wonder… Am I doing a good job?"

"Mikoto…" Fugaku could hear the coming sob. It was just one of those moments of his wife's self-doubt.

"Am I raising her the way that Yuri would _want_ her to be raised? Am I raising her _correctly_? Did I make a mistake when signing Sakura up to be a Hunter?" Mikoto asked, but the questions didn't seem to be pointed at anyone.

"Mikoto, you've done well," Fugaku assured her. He was never good at comforting people—he sincerely hoped that his sons wouldn't pick up this trait from him. "I'm sure Yuri and Kaien are happy with the way Sakura turned out. She's never gone against us or any of her superiors. She never causes any trouble, and she acts like the perfect daughter."

"Yes, but"—the ebony-haired woman buried her head in her hands—"It's her first time away from home, Fugaku! We don't know if there are any of her parents' enemies still lurking around that know she's their daughter! What if _he_ knows? She'll be in so much danger, if that were the case! And then there are the Royal Children and the Senate… What if they find out about Sakura? What if they realize who she _is_? In her state, in this _human_ state, she can't protect herself! And when she finds out about everything, she'll be so hurt… She'll be so confused… If anything were to happen to her on this mission then I don't know what I'd do!" She was trying so hard to keep her cries from getting too loud.

Fugaku, not knowing what to do, only placed a hand on her shoulder and allowed her to cry into his chest.

"She's Yuri and Kaien's legacy… The last one they left… But she's not _just_ that, Fugaku! I raised her as a _daughter_, and she's become one! I don't know what I'd do if I were to lose her…"

"Nothing will happen to her, Mikoto…" Fugaku said this, not only to persuade the Uchiha Matriarch but also himself. There were still so many undecided factors, so many unexpected factors, in this. They and the Hokage had kept Sakura safe from the outside world, but now there was no delaying her debut anymore. If they were to safeguard her any further, they could do much more harm than intended, but they had to try. "Sasuke will protect her, and she has her parents watching over her. Nothing will happen."

They were so preoccupied by their conversation that they didn't see their youngest son outside the door of the pinkette's room. He had heard most of the discussion, and now he was suspicious—he had suspicions before, but now he had even more. He knew that Sakura's parents had passed away, but he never found out the circumstances of their deaths. And now, he hears that the vampiric world is somehow involved in this? Something was up, he knew. His fiancée wasn't normal—at least, not in the standard term of the word. And he would find out why. Besides, how would he protect his betrothed if he did not know _what_ to protect her from?

✿｡.:***The Next Day***:.｡✿

"Naruto, calm down, would ya?" This was the fourth time Sakura had asked within the half hour. And frankly, she was getting tired of holding the blonde back every time Tazuna insulted him. She could understand why her teammate was getting so riled up, but did he really need to do so with a client who didn't seem to think of them any higher? It would only make Tazuna see even more faults with them, and that would make this mission even worse than it already was.

"You're just wasting your time," Sasuke told her.

_**Exactly…**_

_Shut up, Inner!_ In the outside world, Sakura just grimaced at the Uchiha. "You may think so, but I don't. If any enemies were to hear him then our mission would be compromised."

"And this is why you boys should learn from your female teammate!" Kakashi indirectly praised the cherry blossom. "See how smart she is? And it's her first mission outside of the village too!" He patted the girl on the head, a true smile behind his mask which reached all the way to his eyes. Perhaps he'll find a prodigy in her. "But don't worry, Sakura-chan. It's only a C-ranked mission. We shouldn't be meeting up with any vampires or any other enemies."

Tazuna ducked his face then, wrinkles creased on his forehead and a frown etched on his face. _If only they knew…_ He felt horribly guilty for lying, but he had to do this. For his family and for his people. _The end justifies the means…_ he told himself over and over again.

And as the group travelled, they passed by a puddle which Kakashi found odd. It hadn't rained in the past couple of days. Why would there be a small amount of water around? Something was very weird about that. He'll have to keep his guard up.

Apparently, Sakura's Inner thought the same too but on a different scale. _**Hey… We should jump in that…**_

_Why? It's only a puddle…_

_**Trust me, it'll be worth it. Oh, and make sure you put your weight into it!**_

_Whatever you say…_ Sakura did find it odd that her Inner was tempting her into going through with this, but her Inner never led her to any trouble before. Why not give it a go? Plus, the last time she had fun like that was a few months ago. It wouldn't hurt her if she decided to get her shoes wet.

She slowed down, making sure that the others didn't notice—she saw Kakashi and Sasuke look at her funny, but she only shrugged at them and ran back to the puddle and hopped in. _Hard_. So hard, in fact, that the ground cracked a bit. She really was strong for her age.

"Sakura!" It was then that Sasuke grabbed her and pulled her out of the way as a chain sprung out from the seemingly harmless liquid.

_**Now, wasn't that**_** _fun?_** Her Inner decided to say once they landed.

_I almost got _killed_!_

_**Yeah… I didn't plan on that, but you have to admit: it was fun!**_

"You _idiot_!" Sasuke scolded her. "What were you _thinking_?"

Again, Sakura only gave him a shrug. What was she to say? "Oh, the little being in my head told me to do that because it seemed fun!" Nope, that was out of the picture. If she had said that then she'd be totally labeled insane. Instead, she just told him, "Impulse." And when she saw the position she was in, she blushed. And who wouldn't be if their fiancé carried her bridal-style in front of their teammates, their client, and two vampires? "_Anoo_ . . . you can put me down now. Please."

"You little witch!" yelled the vamp who was rubbing his head. "I'll get you for that!"

"Forget her! Get the Level Three Hunter!"

And then chaos broke out.

* * *

**Whew! Done with that chapter! Sorry it sucks, but I couldn't really figure out how to make it better. It took me a few weeks to actually sort it out correctly. Oh, and sorry that I haven't updated in about five months. The next chapter should come out faster.**


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